Hello Magic My Old Friend
by Alice Meri Fox
Summary: The memories are back, but is it enough? The town is still in chaos, but none of that matters when the Enchanted Forest is rediscovered and Cora comes to town. What kind of trouble does a newcomer bring? And where is Balefire and Sissel? Second to 'Once Upon a Time in Tamriel'.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: Hello everyone! I'm so sorry it took this long to get this next season up. I really had most of it written out and typed up when I posted the last chapter of OUaTiT. I just got caught up with Halloween at the store and then I accidentally got into Game of Thrones and had to get that out of my system (1: Danny needed to die a while ago. 2: All hail Arya, the fucking badass of the North). But I did it, it's done! Yay!

Most of this is in Storybrooke. Not a lot of Skyrim pasts, but there are some Enchanted forest ones.

As always I don't own anything but Devon and Orabella and all their other names. And if something is wrong, please PM me and I will fix it.

Broken

The smoke cleared and immediately Devan looked over all the children. He knew what the smoke had brought; he felt his magic returning to him. The former orphans were worried about their own parents; his own children were just happy to remember him, and clung to him tightly.

"Okay, everyone, I know you're all scared, but we all need to calm down," he told the children over their chittering.

"Papa, what happened to us?" Hroar was holding Runa close as the youngest cried into his shoulder.

"Ask me later, little man. We need to stay inside for the time being. And I need to make a few phone calls, find out what happened, okay?" The children all nodded. "Okay, in the mean time, let's finish our homework and read our books." The children calmed and dispersed to the library as he reached for the phone.

Gold turned to Orabella. "Now, my Lovely," he said pulling her to lean against the well before him. "What do we do?"

She tilted her head at him with a playful smirk. "What, I'm just supposed to give you the answers?"

He leaned closer to her. "Well, I had hoped you would cooperate. Especially since I've brought you a little gift." He pulled the gold and emerald pendant from his breast pocket.

Her face lit up in excitement. "If I tell you, will you give it back sooner?"

"I may," Gold said with a smirk of his own.

She sighed in mock frustration. "We have to wait to get Regina. Not long," she reassured when she saw his anger flash across his face. "Just an hour at the latest."

He seemed placated for the moment. "Then what shall we do in the mean time?" He pulled her in for a deep kiss.

A kiss she happily returned.

Until her phone rang. She answered with an angry sigh. "We have an hour before she gets locked up. What could possibly be so important you have to interrupt my reunion?"

"How about our armor? I don't have mine, and I sure as hell don't want to face the mob alone to ask her where it is." Devon was unfazed by the woman snoozing at him. He'd withstood it for almost 75 years; he'd be willing to stand more.

She sighed, slightly more calm. She looked at her feet and rocked her left heel on the well platform, her favorite way to call upon her armor. Nothing happened. "I don't have mine either," she said before throwing an ice spike into a tree. "But I do have Ice Spike."

"Really?"

"Why would I joke? Tell Lacey to watch the children and meet me at Mayor Manor. Technically, we're under contract; we should at least show up." She shut the call off and turned her attention back to her lover. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"I understand. A contract is a contract. But when you finish, remember, you still belong to me."

He pulled himself away from her. "Oh!"

"Yes?"

"Your hint," she smirked. "You can't kill her, but a Touch of Destiny never hurt many people, did it?" He gave her a playful grin and gave a kiss to her hand and led the way out of the woods.

* * *

Whale led the group to Regina's doorstep, the family of heroes and the Queens bodyguards not far behind.

"Listening to you has been enough for all of us," Regina said, pushing the town doctor aside to face the crowd on her porch. "That's right. You wanted to see your queen? Well, my dears," she said stepping off her porch and throwing her blazer back. "Here... she... is..."

She threw a spell.

Nothing happened.

"She's powerless!"

"Get her!"

"Don't let her get away!"

Whale threw Regina against one of the pillars on her porch. "Now, where were we," he asked as he made to wrap his hands around her neck.

Devon sent a bolt of lightning above the doctors head. "If anyone gets first crack at the Queen, it's us," he said gesturing to himself and Orabella.

"Where are our things, Regie," Orabella sing-songed. "You know we can't do too much without it."

Regina looked at her guards confused. "They're with mine," she said shaikily at they're cool faces.

They nodded and took their places at her side, peaceful magic charging in her hands. She breathed easier as they stood in front of her as Emma and her family fought through the crowd. "Let her go! Let her go!"

"Why should we listen to you?" Whale eyed the blond.

"Because I am still the Sheriff."

"And because she saved you, all of you," David said eying the body guards magic as it disengaged.

"And because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify this," Mary Margret addressed the crowd as she held Henry close.

"We are not murderers here."

"Well, were not from this world," Whale snapped at the Savior.

"Yeah, well, you're in it now," she snapped back.

"Okay, Whale, were done." David stood in front of Devon as another barrier between Whale and Regina.

"Back off! You're not my prince."

David paused. "Who are you, Whale?"

"That's my business," the doctor muttered.

The prince paused and scoffed. "Well, my business is making sure this town doesn't go to hell, so weather or not I'm your prince isn't the issue. We have a lot to figure out and this isn't the way to do it."

"And Regina's death wont provide any answers," Mary Margret said coming to stand beside her husband, in front of Orabella. "She needs to be locked up for her safety, and more importantly, for ours."

The bodyguards gave a subtle nod to Regina, telling her it was a safe idea, and she went quietly with the Charming family. Emma pulled Orabella and Devon back as the crowds dispersed, her son by her side.

"Okay, What the hell was that?"

"It was magic," Henry said excitedly.

"But Regina couldn't use hers?"

"Our magic is different," Orabella said in terse explanation.

"So what do we do with you?"

"Nothing," Devon said. "Our job is to keep Regina alive until her mother's death. If she's locked away, you're doing our job for us, and we can go about our lives."

Emma thought about it for a minute. "Okay," she agreed. "No more magic."

The bodyguards merely raised their eyebrows as woman and child took their leave. "No promises," was muttered under-breath.

* * *

Regina sighed and attempted to open the lock on the door. "Magic is different here, dearie," Gold said rounding the corner.

"I noticed," she sneered. "I assume this is all your doing?"

"Most things are," he said as he stalked closer.

She gulped. "Get to it, Rumple. What do you want? You here to finish the job."

"No, no, no," he chuckled. "You're safe from me."

"I feel so relieved."

"Certainty made me promise not to kill you."

"You've seen her?"

"She came to me right after the curse broke." He drew nearer to the cell, internally amused at their reversed situations. "And she gave me an idea. A gift, as it were." He grabbed her hand from where she had rested it on the bars and pulled it through, slamming a gold pendant into her palm.

Regina gasped through the pain as the pendant seared her skin. "Is that..."

"Yes, dearie. The one thing no one can escape... Destiny." She struggled in his grip. "And I promise, yours is particularly unpleasant."

* * *

Devon and Orabella ran down the stone steps into Regina's vault. They searched through most of the chests until Devon spoke. "I think this is yours. Filled to the brim with books."

"Well, this one has every ore, ingot, and hide ever created, so it must be yours."

"Oh! God Armor!"

"About damn time." They adorned themselves in they're respective light armor and Devon pulled a set of wolf armor and threw it on as Orabella re-adorned her self in her usual clothes and began going through her books.

"Now for weapons," he said as he continued to search.

"She couldn't be simple and put our stuff into two chests: yours and mine?"

"She was always a difficult child."

"Doesn't mean she had to grow up to be a difficult woman. Here, found them," she said opening up another chest.

"Jeez, got enough arrows?"

"Jeez, got enough swords?"

"Never."

"Question answered," she said as they separated their things.

"So who goes with Emma?"

"I can't possibly go without leave from my lord."

"'Your lord', huh?"

"That leaves you."

"Would he enjoy the company of six small children? Well, two teens, one on the cusp of teenagedom and three small children," he asked as he buckled swords

She slung multiple quivers over her shoulder. "He wouldn't have much of a choice. 'Uncle Stiltkin'?"

Devon shook his head as the last of their things were safely concealed. "Can't see him as an 'Uncle' anything."

Orabella merely shrugged as they turned to leave.

* * *

"Sees like rather a punch in the face," Gold said as Orabella opened the shop front and walked in. "I deserve a 'thank-you'."

"Twist my words all you want," Emma said coolly as Orabella circled to stand beside Gold. "What was the purple haze that you brought?"

"Just a little bit of Hocus Pocus," Orabella said as she lit a single flame on her finger.

"Why," Mary Margret asked.

"Not telling," Gold said before taking his lady's hand and blowing out the flame, and kissing it.

The ground rumbled, the shop shook, and the car alarms from those outside sounded loudly. "What was that?" The Charming's ran to the door.

"That is my gift to you," Gold said to the confused Savior as something roared in the street. "That's gonna take care of Regina." There was an explosion outside and electricity crackled.

"Emma, come on," Mary Margret called.

"We need to go take care of this," David said as he walked closer to his daughter.

Emma kept her gaze leveled at Gold. "We're not done."

"Oh, I know," assured evenly. "You still owe me a favor." Emma gave a little nod of reluctant understanding and the Charming trio left the shop. Gold turned to Orabella. "How did it go?"

"I got everything I needed," she said as she produced a gold and emerald ring and held it in front of him. "Now will you return mine?" He pulled the rings necklace counterpart out of a hidden case, and slipped it around her neck. She took his right hand and slipped it onto his forefinger.

They both smiled. "I made tea," he said gesturing to the tea tray on the counter as he wrapped an arm around her.

"I see that, but I may not be able to stay."

"Why?" His disappointed look was evident.

"Absolute must go to the Enchanted forest with Emma. I need to look after my nieces and nephews," she explained as she draped her arms around his neck.

"The enchanted Forest? It's impossible to get to from here."

"Not if you have the Hatters hat." She rubbed her nose on his playfully. "And whilst they're away, you can work on us getting over the town line with out loosing our memories."

"Our memories?"

"Regina did make some adjustments to the curse."

"It will take time to concoct a remedy."

"We have time," she assured. "I don't remember where exactly Bae is in New York City. Emma shall bring back Cora, who will bring a tracking globe, then we can find him."

"Cora will come here?" He pulled slightly away from her.

Her arms constricted so he couldn't go too far. "You know I can't give away too many things at once. It would fry even your brain." She ran her fingers gently through his hair as he sighed in discontent. "Besides it's all written down in my books," she said gesturing to the five red leather books that sat behind the counter in they're own glass case. "You have them. You could read them. But it's only what happened when I was Stacia. I'm not her anymore, so somethings are bound to be different." She sighed as he rubbed her back. "I just don't want you to worry about it."

"So long as you keep all this to yourself, my lovely, I shall worry," he said pressing a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

The lights flickered at the Sheriffs station. "Hello? Who's there?" Regina looked up from her marked hand and out to the station.

"Only me," Devon said as he drew a set of lock picks from a pocket. He kelt before the cell door as the lights flickered out. "The Wraith is near."

"Behind you!"

The Wraith ripped the cell door from its hinges, throwing it and Devon across the room. The Wraith extended its arm and began to suck the soul from Regina. Devon shook off his weariness and threw a ball of magelight in front of the creature, blinding it.

The Charming's arrived in time to help. David launched a chair at it before he himself was thrown across the room, landing near Devon. The Wraith sent a Deputy's desk after him, and the two men quickly scrambled out of the way.

The Wraith went back to collecting it's marked soul. Mary Margret found a spray can and a lighter from lock up inventory, and used them as an amateur flame thrower. The Wraith screamed and made its escape out a window.

Devon made his way over to a gasping Regina as Emma spoke. "What the hell was that thing?"

"A Wraith," Devon said as he helped Regina to her feet.

"A soul-sucker," Regina gasped.

"Did I-"

"Kill it?" Devon and Regina looked at Mary Margret as though she were an idiot. Regina continued. "No, it's regenerating. It'll be back. It doesn't stop until it devours it's prey. Me." She held up her marked hand.

"So how do we kill it?" Emma looked to Regina for answers.

"There's no way," she said sadly. "You can't kill something that's already dead."

"Then we have a problem."

"No, we don't," David spoke up. "Regina does."

Regina looked at him in disbelief. "What?"

"David?" Mary Margret was shocked.

Emma was surprised as well. "You want to let her die?"

"Why not? Then it goes away. Then we're safe."

"That's quite the example you're setting for your daughter, there," Devon snapped.

"No. You don't get to judge us," David said moving to get in the taller mans face.

Regina interrupted them. "Let me ask you something. Where do you think that thing came from?" They all knew the answer. "Gold."

David looked to his daughter. "I made a promise to Henry. She's not dying."

Mary Margret crossed her arms. If it can't be killed, what do you suggest?"

"Send it somewhere it can't hurt anyone," Regina said. "I have something in my office that can help in that endeavor."

The Charming's veered off to the supply store while Devon, Emma, and Regina went to City Hall. Devon waited for everyone in the main hall as Regina and Emma went upstairs to retrieve the Hatters hat.

Regina led the parade of Charming's into the Hall with the hat. "It will open a portal to our land. All we have to do is send the Wraith in there," she said placing the hat at the center of the hall.

"Oh, yeah. Just that," David said sarcastically.

"I don't understand." Mary Margret handed her lighter to her husband. "I thought our land was gone."

"It is." Regina said as she adjusted the hat. "But sending it to a place that no longer exists... Well, that's banishing it to Oblivion."

"Which can be a very nice place, depending on where you get sucked into," Devon said pulling out his own torch.

The Charming's looked at him confused as Regina spun the hat on the floor.

The Wraith entered the room. David and Devon stood in front of the women, waving their torches at the Wraith, attempting to distract it.

Above the din of the fire and the wind, Devon picked out Emma's voice. "What's the problem?" He looked behind him to check on their progress, and the Wraith knocked him over the fire lit partition near the crouched pair.

As the portal opened, the Wraith lunged for Regina. Emma pushed her out of the way and was dragged into the portal by the Wraith. During this distraction, Devon log rolled himself in after her.

* * *

Orabella say at the foot of the spinning wheel as Gold spun wool into yarn, swirling her tea. "The Wraith is gone."

"Will you go now?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm sure Belle will wish to go home, see her father." She stood and set her cup aside. "Tomorrow, I'd like to help settle everyone in."

"Are you asking me or telling me?" He set his work aside and stood to face her.

"I'm asking. Absolute and I have a reputation of being Regina's hands. I'd like to start amending that by helping out the towns people."

"You don't need to ask me to do what's in your nature," he said brushing back a lock of her hair behind her shoulder. "That's part of why I love you."

Her eyes misted. "Look at you, making me a sap." She wiped her eyes. "It's just, we've been apart so long. I don't really want to go." She wrapped herself around him.

He pulled her closer, resting his head on hers. "I know, nor do I. But as you've said, 'sometimes lovers part to be together'. Does that not apply now?"

"Yes," she sighed. "Until I use Belle or a criminal, I've not decided yet."

He chuckled in his lack of understanding. "I'm sure you'll figure it out in due time." He pulled her face to his for a kiss. "Now, you have children to look after." He placed another kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Stacia Erimentha Certainty Orabella Marquardt-Shine."

She laughed. "And I love you, Rumplestiltskin Robert Gold."


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: I think from here on out the chapters won't be as long as the first. Thank you to Charmed2100and pinkcrazynes for favoriting and following!

We Are Both

Orabella ran her hands over the papers on the table in front of her. "Okay, we'll call your cell when we find her. If you find her before we do, please let us know. We don't want anyone left behind."

"Thank you." Another concerned townsperson left the table with hope in their eyes.

Orabella leaned back in her chair to check on the remaining orphans that gathered on the grass with her nieces and nephews nearby. "How's it going, Auntie?" Hroar ran up to his aunt, noticing she was free for his attention.

"It's going well. How are the little ones?"

"They're okay," he sighed

"I know, free babysitting isn't what you wanted to do today," she said sympathetically.

"It's better than school." He perked up.

"Don't get too excited. I'm sure school will start again soon." He shrugged but was quiet. "You okay?"

"I don't like school."

"Neither did I. But it's where I met your father, so I guess it wasn't all bad."

"I miss papa."

"Me too."

"Some of the people have been whispering things."

"What things?" She turned in her chair to face him fully.

"That you and papa are bad people."

She leaned foreword to rest on her knees. "Well, your father is an assassin, and you know I'm a thief. We've never hidden that from you or the others. Yes we've had to do some bad things, but we don't do them to good people. Does that make us bad?"

He shook his head. "But they say you helped an evil Queen."

"Yes, we did," she admitted to him. "We had to."

"Why?"

"To keep you and your siblings safe. To find your cousins. To protect innocent people from dying and punish the truly guilty." She paused and leaned closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "We made a promise, and had to fulfill it. We are still bound to it actually. But not for much longer. A week, maybe two."

"Then we can go home?"

"I don't know," she said truthfully. "All the people here want to get back to their land, and it's very difficult to travel between worlds."

"So we may never get home?"

"That doesn't mean we give up. It just means we have to wait a while."

"So, someday?"

"Someday."

* * *

Absolute and Certainty watched as Regina entered her room. "It's got to be in here somewhere."

"Names themselves are powerful things, my Lady," Absolute said as she flipped through the pages. "It would be careless to leave it written down."

"Just keep armed," Regina said still searching through the book. The out-placed pair drew their weapons and waited. "Rumplesh... shilts... Rumpleschtiltskin, I summon thee."

"That's not how you say it, dearie." A voice behind her made her jump and turn. A man with gold glittering skin in red leather garb sat comfortably on a chaise facing away from Regina and towards her guards. "But then... you didn't have to say anything."

Regina walked to look at her visitor. "What are you?"

"'What'? What 'what'? My, my, what a rude question." The man sat straight, facing her. "I am not a 'what'."

Regina looked repentant and waved her guards to put their weapons away. "Sorry. I don't really know what I'm doing."

"That much is clear," he said standing. "Allow me to introduce myself. Rumpelstiltskin." He bowed in front of her.

Regina moved to do the same. "And I'm-"

"Regina. I know," he said interrupting her.

"You do?"

"But of course."

"Because of my mother, Cora," she said standing straight. "You taught her?"

"My legend precedes me." He too stood straight.

"People say I look like her when she was younger."

"Really," he asked, stepping closer to have a look. "I don't see it. No, that's not how I know you."

"Oh. How then?" She sounded nervous, making her guards pull their weapons out again, watching the man circle Regina.

"I knew you long ago, dearie. It's been sometime, but I knew this day would come. I've been waiting for it. And I'm so happy we're back where we belong."

"Where's that?"

"Together," he said nastily. "Oh, yes, I know everything about you my dear," he said walking away from her. "I held you in my arms. You were younger, more... portable." He turned to face her again. "There is much history between your family and me. History, both in the past and in the future."

"Then can you help me?" Regina stepped closer to Rumpelstiltskin.

"Possibly, yss. You seek power?" A wrong answer. "The death of your enemies?" Another wrong answer. "The death of your friends," he asked as he gestured to Absolute and Certainty.

"No." Regina shook her head. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Hard to believe you're from the same family. So kind, so gentile... So... oh! Powerful. You could do so much if you just let yourself."

"But I don't know how," she said turning away from him.

"Well... let me show you the way." He spun her around to show her a large covered gift.

She gasped. "How did..."

"Magic. It can set you free."

"I don't want that. Use magic- That's what she does. I don't want to end up like her."

"No, no. Of course not. But that's the beauty of my gift. You don't have to. It will do it for you."

She looked at it curiously. "What is it?"

"A portal," he said stepping closer to it. "A passage between lands. This is a portal to a specific annoying little world. Useless to me, but for your purposes, a-perfect." He stalked back to her as he spoke. "You're unlikely ever to see her again." Regina stepped closer to the gift. "All she'll need is a little push. The question is... can... you... do it?"

Regina was silent as he left.

* * *

Regina burst through the doors of City Hall. "My... what a nice turn out." People gasped and got out of her way as she walked in. "No need for a fuss. It's just little old me." She stopped when she reached the front of the crowd, and turned to face them.

Orabella moved to stand in front of Henry as Dr. Hopper called attention to himself. "Regina, think about what you're doing."

"Bug." She flicked him away. She then flicked Leroy away and caught a bolt from Granny's crossbow. "How sweet," she said as she set the bolt on fire. She threw the fiery remains around the hall making people duck. It landed on the Storybrook crest behind her, setting it ablaze.

Ruby stepped foreword. "What do you want?"

People righted themselves and Henry spoke up. "Me." He pushed his way to the front, Orabella following him. "Okay, I'll come with you. Just... leave them alone."

Regina smiled and walked up to him, placing her hand on his face. "That's my boy." She looked to the serious face of her pseudo-sister. "Step aside." Orabella didn't move. "Now."

"No, your highness," Orabella defied her.

Regina waved her hand and covered the older woman in a purple haze. Orabella fought against the magic that was making her move, until Henry spoke. "Please, Auntie."

The woman allowed herself to be forced aside and put in a kneeling position at Regina's feet. As the former queen passed she spoke. "See you soon... Cora."

Regina looked hurt but made no move to punish her as she walked out of the hall.

* * *

Regina turned away from her mother as Absolute and Certainty entered behind the pair to escort them downstairs. "Is that what you would do, mother?"

"That's exactly what I would do," Cora smiled.

"Regina shook her head. "Well, the thing is, I don't want to be you." She turned and made to attack her mother.

Cora used her magic to stop her. "What are you doing? You think it's that easy to get rid of me? Even Absolute and Certainty can't touch me." She encased them in her blue magic and made them kneel. "You're stuck with me forever, darling, because I'm your mother, and I know best."

Regina used all of her pent up anger as her strength to force her mother's spell to break and throw her into the mirror portal, which shattered. Regina gasped at herself as her guards stood shakily, having been forced to the ground hard. "We leave now," she commanded. The pair bowed and hastened to the stables to ready the horses.

Halfway out of the kingdom they were stopped by a familiar face. "Leaving, are we?"

"That was always the plan," Regina said as she dismounted her horse. As she drew closer to the Dark One, she dug through her bag and retrieved his spell book. "Here. A gift." She held the book out to him. "I don't want it."

"Uh, can't be a gift. It was mine to start with," he said taking the book. Regina said nothing and turned back to her horse. "Before you go... answer me this..." She turned back to him. "How did it feel?"

"I love my mother."

"That's not what I asked, dearie." He drew closer. "How did it feel to use magic?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll never use it again," she said turning away again.

"Why not?"

"Because I loved it." When she turned back to him, he could see the lust for power in her eyes.

He giggled manically. "You've discovered who you are. You could do so much now... If you let me show you how," he sing-songed.

"Through magic." Regina pulled back a little.

"Through many things."

She looked relieved as she leaned back into him. "And what do you get out of it?"

"Someday... you'll do something for me. And... l get your female guard." Regina contemplated as he held the book out to her. "Let me guide you."

Regina looked back to Certainty, who gave a nod of approval. She faced Rumpelstiltskin again and reached out to take the book. "And I won't become like her?"

"That, dearie... is entirely up..." he let go of the book so she could take it back. "To you."

Regina took the book and Certainty dismounted her ethereal horse, which returned to the Soul Cairn with a dying whinny. "My lord," she said bowing to him. She took her place next to Rumpelstiltskin.

He giggled. "I'll see you soon, your majesty," he said to Regina before he pooped himself and his new servant away.

* * *

Orabella ran to her car to hurry after Regina and Henry. "Orabella!" David ran up to her. "Where's Regina?"

"She took Henry to her place."

"Come with me," he said taking her arm and leading her to his truck. "So, what's your story," he asked as they got in.

"It's a long one."

"Your on Regina's side?"

"By contractual agreement with her mother, we must protect her and keep her in power until her mother's death."

"Yeah, and how long ago was that?"

"Not for a few days yet."

"What?"

"It's also complicated."

"I'd like to hear it one day."

"Ask your grandson." David said nothing as he pulled up to Regina's house. "Here," she said pulling a sword hilt out of her palm and offering it to him. He looked at it skeptically. "It's a sword, just take it."

He took the offered hilt and pulled out a sturdy and simple steel sword from her hand. He paused a moment to admire it before looking to her. "Let's go." He led her as he stalked up to the house and burst through the door. Regina sat at her table, her mother's book in her hands. She turned to face them. "I wanna see him.

Regina stood and walked towards them. David raised his sword as she drew closer and rested it near her neck. She looked him in the eyes as she spoke. "Henry, come down," she called up the stairs. She looked back to David. "You won't be using your sword."

"Whatever you conjure, I can fight."

"I mean, you won't be needing your sword," she corrected, pushing the blade away. She met her son halfway up the stairs. He looked nervous. "Henry, you're gonna go home with Auntie Ora."

Henry looked to his aunt who threw an explanatory glance to the man in front of her. "Really?" He turned back to his mother.

"Really," she nodded. "I shouldn't have brought you here I was... I don't know how to love very well. I wasn't capable of it for a long time. But I know- I remember... that if you hold onto someone too hard, that doesn't make them love you. I'm sorry I lied to you, that I made you feel like I didn't know who you are. But I want you to be because you want to be here, not because I forced you... and not because of magic," she said tearing up. "I want to redeem myself," she whispered to him. "Go get your things."

Henry ran up the stairs and David spoke. "Then prove it."

Regina turned on the stair. "How?"

"Answer one question. Does it exist?"

"What?"

"The Enchanted Forest," Orabella spoke up.

"Our land- does it still exist?"

Regina walked down the stairs and stopped before the pair. "Yes. But I have no idea how to get back there." David said nothing but his face turned determined. "I can see I just sent you on a heroic quest." She took a deep breath. "Just also make sure you help take care of my son."

David nodded. "That I can do," he said as Henry ran back down the stairs with his backpack.

* * *

The pair appeared in the Dark Castle in a poof so favored by Rumpelstiltskin. Certainty looked around as she followed her new employer through the entry hall. "You will cook and bring my meals to me," he told her as he threw open the doors to the main hall. "You will launder my clothes, and keep the Castle clean."

"Agreeable so far," she mused.

"I'm not done." He turned to her swiftly and stared deep into her eyes. "You will fetch fresh straw for my spinning wheel. And you will skin the children I hunt for sport."

"I shall skin all but two children you may hunt," she countered. He tilted his head at her. "I have a son and a daughter somewhere. Should you show up with them, I would try to kill you."

"You wouldn't succeed."

"Never said I would." She looked around the hall. "Shall I start with this room or leave it for another day?"

He giggled menacingly at her change of subject. "You May start wherever you please. Just change out of that armor. Can't have an armored maid running about."

"Housecarl," she corrected as her armor and weapons melted away, revealing a simple cream dress with a red apron. Her cowl was replaced by a scarf that covered all her hair, and a mask that covered her mouth and nose. Dark gloves covered her hands and soft leather boots laced up to just below her knee. "They're more useful than simple maids."

"Oh," he questioned, gazing deep into her eyes again.

"In short, I shall protect you, and all you own, with my life," she said bowing slightly.

He giggled again. "You say that now, dearie, but you have no idea."

"I used to kill dragons for a living," she said as she began to use her magic to loosen the curtains. "I doubt a few disgruntled customers, or even wayward Ogers, will be much different, my lord."

* * *

Emma, Devon, and Mary Margret were being pulled by Mulan atop her horse. Roped bound their hands together as they stumbled over tall grass and drift wood near a beach.

As Aurora and Mulan halted their horses, Mary Margret spotted an island in the distance. "What is this place?"

"Our home," Mulan said as the horses continued on.

"It's like they're refugees," Emma said as they entered the camp.

"We're survivors," Mulan snapped as she handed off the horses.

Mary Margret turned and kneed Aurora in the stomach. "Emma, run!"

The two women broke away from their captors, running across the camp. Devon stood there calmly, his hands held up in surrender.

Mulan threw a bola at the running pair, knocking out Mary Margret. A guard pulled Devon over as Emma checked on her mother. "What did you do?"

"Take them to the pit," Mulan ordered, ignoring the woman.

They threw Devon in first, followed by Emma, before they dragged in Mary Margret.

"Be careful. Hey, be careful," Emma cried as they ploped Mary Margret onto the ground. She kneeled beside the older woman as their captors left. "Hey. Come on, wake up. Hey, can you hear me?"

Devon summoned a small dagger and cut himself out of his bonds. He stood in front of Emma as a voice came from the darkness. "Do you need help, Absolute?"

"I need nothing from you, Cora. Back off."


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: hi everyone! Next few chapters aren't nearly as long, but still fun. Thanks for reading!

Lady of the Lake

Devon sat next to Mary Margret, tending the injured woman. "You sure she's gonna be okay?" Emma stood over them.

"Ora's the healer, not me. I prefer to cause them. Don't worry, I'm not making it worse. Even with my limited skills, she'll be fine," he said turning to her, keeping Cora in his line of sight.

"What is this place? Where are we?" Emma looked around as she stood.

"We're in the Enchanted Forest. Well, a little island on the boarder. You were right, these people are like refugees. That woman," he pointed to Cora. "Is Regina's mother, and, as Mary Margret will tell you, is not to be trusted under any circumstances."

"Oh, Absolute, you've nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree."

"Yeah, then you got your worms into her," Devon spat standing.

"It's been a long time, Absolute. I've grown wiser."

"More conniving, you mean."

"Emma." Mary Margret stood, cradling her head. She spotted Cora over Devon's shoulder. "No."

"Oh, Snow, you're awake. I so relieved," Cora said smiling.

Devon stood between the women as Mary Margret spoke quietly to Emma. "As bad as you think Regina is, this woman is worse."

"Oh, Snow," Cora said from behind her, Devon still in the way. Mary Margret turned to shield Emma, and Devon shielded them both. "Sweet Snow, please." Cora attempted to get closer. "Believe me, whatever she told you isn't true. I just want to help you."

"Let's hear her out," Emma whispered.

"Emma." Both her party's voices were hard.

"Okay, right now we are at the bottom of a hole with no other options, and Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina."

"Who's Henry?" Cora looked confused.

"My son. I kind of share him with Regina," Emma explained. "It's complicated."

The two others rounded on the blond and began speaking at once. "Don't talk to her." "He's with his aunt, I'm sure. Shut up."

"Enough!" A voice started all those below. A rope was thrown down. "Our leader requests an audience."

Devon steadied the rope for his two companions before climbing up himself, bringing the end of the rope with him. They were led back into the camp. The women conversed in front of him as he took a survey of the people, looking for one in particular. He spotted his goal across the way, disguised in sackcloth as an urchin.

"Wait here," one of the guards instructed, knocking Devon's mind to what was in front of him.

Emma sighed as they waited. "Is that why you came through the portal," she asked Mary Margret. "Because you thought I was helpless here?"

"No. I came to be with you." A man stepped out of a raised hut. "Lancelot?"

"Snow?" The man moved closer to the trio and gave the woman a hug. "If I had known that you were the prisoners Mulan had brought back, I never would've locked you away. Please, forgive me."

"Of course."

"Lancelot? Really," Emma said to Devon.

"Life is certainly interesting here, Emma," was all he said.

"He's an old friend. We can trust him," Mary Margret said happily.

"Come, you must be hungry," The knight said gesturing for them to follow.

They sat at a table as Lancelot had some others set it with plates and tankards of water. "What the hell is that?" Emma spotted something on a big bone.

"That is Chimera," Lancelot explained as he moved to the head of the table to sit. "An acquired taste, but all our hunting party could bring back. One part lion, one part serpent, one part goat."

"Like a turducken?" She speared one of the pieces to examine it.

"Almost, you just don't stuff them into each other," Devon said as he filled his plate.

"I don't understand," Mary Margret cut in, changing the subject. "We were told this land didn't even exist anymore. How did you all escape the curse?"

"It is a mystery," Lancelot admitted. "The curse struck, and when the smoke cleared, most of us had been torn from the land. But some of us here, in this particular region, were left behind. We don't know how, and we don't know why. Finding this safe haven wasn't easy. It took some spilt blood. But, worry not, you're safe here."

"We can't stay," Mary Margret lamented. "My husbands back there. Emma's son, my grandson. Devon's kids. We have to get back to them. Can you help us find a portal?"

"No, leaving is unwise. The Enchanted Forest is not as you remember it. The Ogres have returned."

"Ogres? Like, as in 'Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum'?" Emma looked confused.

"Those would be giants," Mary Margret said, placing her hand on her daughters arm.

"Ogres are worse," Devon said as he fed on some grapes.

"That's why we live here on this island, where it's safe," Lancelot continued. "Please, Snow, stay here. There are no more portals left."

"I may know of one," Mary Margret said as she adjusted herself.

"You do?"

"Where?"

Mary Margret looked to Devon who shook his head and then looked in the direction of the Pit. She glanced in that direction before speaking. "Cora's near. I don't feel comfortable voicing my plans. She's powerful."

"Not anymore," Lancelot assured. "The curse stripped her of her powers. But given her reputation, we've kept her locked up as a precaution."

"If you think she's stripped of all her powers, you don't know the extent of her powers," Devon said seriously to the former knight.

"Nevertheless, I'm not taking any chances," Mary Margret said. "Just trust me, I may have a way. Let us go."

Lancelot thought for a second. "I'll allow it. But on one condition." He gestured to a person across camp. "Take my bravest warrior with you. Allow Mulan to defend you." The armored woman stood beside her leader.

"We can defend ourselves," Emma said dismissively.

"Deal." The other two quickly over ruled her. Mary Margret continued. "Thank you, Lancelot, for always looking out for me."

Mulan joined them at the table as the three newcomers ate. After she led them to a chest of weapons. After the women suited themselves with some things, the four of them began their journey to Snow's castle.

* * *

Orabella and David rushed down the stairs of Henry Mills' Mausoleum to Regina's Vault. They spotted Henry on the floor, two vipers staring him down. Orabella shot frostbite at them as David ran to cover the container.

"Maybe we should've gone with 'Operation Viper'," David said as the lid locked back into place. "You alright?" He pulled Henry up.

"Yeah. How did you guys know I was down here."

Orabella brushed the dust off of him. "The school called me. I called on David."

"Your mom said you asked her lunch," David continued . "And when you stood her up, she checked her office, saw her keys missing. Figured out the rest."

"She would've come herself, but she thought you wouldn't go with her," Orabella said crouching to his level.

David followed suit. "Henry, what were you thinking?"

"I just want them back," Henry rushed out. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I should be over there with them. Riding horses, learning how to sword fight."

"I know," David said, placing his hands on his grandsons shoulders to help calm him down. "I know. It's okay. Because we're gonna do this together."

Henry nodded in acknowledgment. "Come on, now," Orabella said standing up. "You've gotta get to school. And we have to make sure no one else finds this place." She looked to David who put the snakes crate away and agreed.

The trio drove Henry to school. As they pulled away from the school, Orabella turned to David. "About Henry..."

"I know," he cut her off. "Our agreement was he stays with me, I make sure he goes to school, does his homework, his chores..."

"David!" She snapped him out of his tirade. "I'm not talking about that. Henry wants to learn to sword fight. Hroar and Lucia are both of age to learn as well. Perhaps we should teach them?"

"Teach children to use swords?"

"Back in Skyrim they would have already started to learn. I don't think he's really asking for all that much."

"Is that where you're from? Skyrim?"

"Yes and no. Back there to begin swordsmanship lessons is a sign that your accepting the responsibility of protecting your family. And I realize that we're not in Skyrim, but I still feel like..."

"Ora!" David cut her off. She huffed as he continued. "I think you're right."

"Really?"

"Yes. We can't keep living as though we'll stay here forever. Even if we do, things like sword fighting is something we should hand down to our kids."

"I'm glad you agree, because I already made some wooden practice swords," she said grinning as he pulled his truck up to her tea shop.

* * *

Devon stopped at the end of the castles drive. "Everything okay?" Mary Margret walked up beside him.

"I don't think it's a good idea if I go in there," he said quietly.

"Why?"

He looked to see if the others were a sufficient distance away before he continued. "You know I was once Regina's body guard?" The woman nodded. "The reason was because Ora and I made a deal to protect my children from the dangers of the Enchanted Forest with Cora. That brought us into her service. That service allows either one of them to control our actions." Mary Margret took a step away. "I'm telling you this because if I go in there and she shows up, she can make me harm you, and I don't wanna do that. So, I'll stay down here. If she shows and/or I'm not here when you move on, assume she took me with her."

"Devon, how does she have this power over you?"

"You put your daughter in a wardrobe to protect her. Cora helped me protect my own children. We made a deal with her, and we are magic bound to honor it."

"What would I tell the others?"

"The truth. Cora took me with her."

Mary Margret nodded. "Okay." She caught up with the rest of the group. "Devon's gonna watch the road. Just in case."

"Good idea," Mulan agreed as they entered the remains of the castle.

Cora appeared in front of Devon. "Absolute, how wonderful to see you here."

"You know as well as I, I'm not here because I want to be."

"True. Come, let me see what portal Snow has."


	4. Chapter 4

A/n: simple and short, I may post another on Thursday. Ash hopper jelly and blisterwort are both ingredients that make up a heath potion in Skyrim. I figure why not make it into a tea? Also thank you to my lovely Guest who gave this story its first review!

Bonus points! Did I ever write about how Sissel was adopted? I have it written but I can't remember if I've put it in or not.

The Crocodile

Certainty poured tea for Rumplestiltskin as he sat at his spinning wheel, turning straw into gold. "What is this?" He took a tentative sip of the purple/red liquid.

"Ash hopper jelly and Blisterwort," she said as she poured her own cup and settled herself on the floor beside the wheel. "Perfectly safe."

He looked at her as she drank her tea before continuing his work. This had become a ritual for the pair over the last few months. She made evening tea and watched him as he spun gold. She never spoke or interrupted his spinning. She merely watched his hands. "Why do you watch me spin?"

"It's a beautiful craft," she replied. "A craft which, where I'm from, has mostly died out. Along with many others."

He paused in his spinning and turned to her. "Would you like to learn?"

"To spin wool into yarn?"

This threw him for a loop. "Not straw into gold?"

"I have more gold than I know what to do with," she said snorting into her cup. "What would I do with more? No, I need new socks and gloves and a scarf for the upcoming winter."

Another loop. When he had commanded her to clean his castle she had donned a relatively threadbare dress, hat, dust mask, and gloves to do her work. But she had money? Surely she could dress herself in the best clothes that money could buy. "Not a new dress?"

"I can hardly make gloves and socks, let alone a whole dress," she laughed. "If I need a new dress, I'd go get one from market. The ones I have will do for now."

He thought again before making a decision. With a wave of his hand, the straw was replaced with wool. "Come here," he said holding his hand out to her and scooting back on his bench.

She carefully took his hand and allowed him to sit her in front of him. "I suddenly feel like Cora," she smiled nervously.

He placed a basket of wool on her lap. "Oh, but this, my Lovely, is so very different than turning straw into gold." His arms wound around hers to guide her hands. She frowned internally as she showed her how to thread the wheel, but said nothing.

* * *

Orabella woke at 3am. She sighed as she sat up, stretching her tired muscles. The children were exhausting, but it was Belle's day to watch them, so she had that comfort. She made her way downstairs and poured herself a glass of orange juice before making her way to the basement.

"You should be asleep, Lovely," Gold said as she walked down the stairs.

"I won't go back to sleep. Too late for that." She looked at the work table. "You're getting frustrated. I'm sorry I cant be of more help."

"It's not your fault, Dearest," he said as she sat beside hm as he spun. "I need more time. I'm glad you told me about the line. I suspect I wouldn't have much time, were you against me."

"You would still find the answer. I have no doubt." She set her glass down and picked up some of the gold he was producing. "We should find something to do with all this gold your making."

"Perhaps you can close your tea shop down and set up a jewelry store."

"I like making tea too much. Plus the pastries are delicious."

He laughed before taking the string from her hand. He cut a piece off and placed it into a vial of purple potion on the work bench. The concoction glowed momentarily then faded. "Nothing," he hissed, leaning against the bench.

"It will come." She warped her arms around him from behind. "It will come. I'll go make breakfast." She pulled away.

"How long?"

She paused a moment in thought. "Week to a week and a half?"

"That's it?" He turned in shock.

"You will find it," she assured. "We will find Baelfire and Sissel. I can promise this." He only nodded before returning to his craft.


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: I'm so sorry for the wait. We just had a huge move at work and I completely forgot about posting this weeks chapter. Thank you to Reclaim for favoriting!

The Doctor

Orabella's phone rang. "Regina? I don't have Henry..."

"I saw Daniel," Regina interrupted. "H-he was standing in front of the library. He looked at me."

"Reg, calm down. I'm on my way." She hurried out the door of her shop, barely grabbing her coat. The rain pelted down the street. She quickly entered Regina's car and pulled the woman to her. "It's okay. I'm here."

"I-I didn't know who else to call," Regina sobbed into the other woman's shoulder.

"It's okay. I'm glad you called me. Let's get you home."

Regina nodded and sat up, wiping her face off. She drove to her house and curled up on her bed as Orabella made tea. "Why are you helping me," she asked her former bodyguard. "You sent Gold to kill me."

"No, I sent him to continue the story," Orabella corrected as she sat on the foot of the bed. "You kept us apart for 30 years. And some things must happen the way they were writ. You were never in any real danger, or I wouldn't have been able to suggest it."

"So you're still under my mother's power?"

"A little," Orabella admitted. "But it's weaker here, and because you gave me away." She took a sip of her tea and changed the subject. "Tomorrow we'll go see if Daniel is truly up and about."

"And if he is?" Regina's voice was quiet and strangled.

"Then we go see Whale."

* * *

Regina led the way to the psych-ward in the bowels of the hospital. "Dr. Whale? Where are you?"

Orabella pushed a door open wide. "Doctor?" The room was in complete dissarray. An overhead light flickered at an angle, dangling from the ceiling.

Regina walked to the gurney and pulled back the sheet, revealing a human arm. She jumped back, hitting the light.

Orabella spotted something behind the bed and moved it. "Whale!" The man was on the floor bleeding from his shoulder.

The women kneeled down on either side; Orabella began to use her magic to stop the bleeding as Regina bent over him. "I know you took Daniel's body, and you took one of my hearts. Why?" He didn't answer. "Why," she cried loudly, shaking him. "Did you bring him back?"

"I did it," Whale groaned through the pain.

"He's alive?"

"Yes. I brought him back, but he's not Daniel."

"What?"

"He's a monster," Whale whimpered before passing out.

"Regina, you need to go get help," Orabella said to the shocked woman, her healing spell wrapping around the doctor's stump arm.

* * *

Regina was speaking to David in the middle of the hospital hallway when Orabella came upon them. "I think it's like when you awoke from your coma. He's following his final thoughts to where he last met me," Regina was saying. "The stables."

"Henry," Orabella said worriedly.

"Henry's at the stables," David said before running out of the hospital, the women closely behind him.

"Why is Henry at the stables," Regina asked as they piled into David's truck.

Orabella and David shared a glance. "We, uh, got him a horse," he said as he raced through town.

"You what?"

"It's not a bad idea, Reg. It'll be good for him," Orabella defended.

David pulled into the stables with a fishtail, almost throwing the transmission out when he threw the truck into park. The trio ran into the stables, dodging Henry's horse and Hroar and Lucia crying about how some man was attacking Henry.

"Hey, guys, go to Mr. David's truck and get in," Orabella said pushing them towards the stable entrance.

The three of them slid to a halt in front of Henry's stall, Regina noticing first that Daniel had Henry up the wall by his neck. "Daniel! Let him go!"

Henry fell with a thud and David dragged him out of the stall. "Ora, get him outside!"

"Come on, Henry." The pair ran until they reached the truck. They got in, Henry squished between the other two children, Orabella in the drivers seat.

"What's going on? Who was that?" Henry ran his fingers through his hair as he asked his questions rapidly.

"That was Daniel. Whale brought him back," Orabella explained as she drew the seatbelt over herself and started the truck.

"Then why is he trying to kill me?"

"Nothing can bring back the dead, Henry," Lucia explained as Hroar drew the seatbelt around the three of them.

"Even Skyrim's necromancy can only be used to bring people back as adequate meat shields," their aunt sighed as she saw David walk calmly out of the stables. "He doesn't have much more time."

"What's my mom gonna do," Henry asked as he spotted David.

"Say goodbye," she answered as David swung himself into the bed of the truck and motioned for her to leave.


	6. Chapter 6

A/n: HA! On time. Short, but on time.

Tallahassee

Emilie threw herself across the room and onto Kennard's chair. "I hate her!"

"I know, right? She's such a bitch," he agreed as he pinned together some cloth on a mannequin.

"She could at least attempt to be sensible!"

"Forest for the trees," he quoted before turning to face her. "Who're we talking about?"

"Belle!" The woman threw her hands in the air before covering her face. "She's such a... Argh! I just want her to die!"

"Maybe you should talk to Stacia. She could give a hint to the writers. Make Belle a little more open to the darkness," he said dividing his attention between her and the clothes in front of him.

Emilie sighed and sat up. "Maybe. I do need this job."

"And you are so good at it, too. The purple thread?" He pointed to the spools behind her.

She grabbed the spool and handed it to him. "She's just sooo annoying. I have to work so hard not to slap myself."

"That would hurt. You don't watch the playbacks, do you?"

"No, that would be worse."

"Have a talk with Stacia. She'll see what the writers can come up with. Its only the beginning of the second season. It may get better."

* * *

Blaise looked to Erimentha, who was making dinner. "Mama, how did you become Thane of Riften?"

Erimentha looked up from the pot and spit. "I helped her people and did a favor for the Jarl."

"What was the favor?"

"I wiped out a skooma den."

"You didn't put a control on the Thieves Guild?" Blaise looked confused.

"No, but I did join them. Nice enough bunch. Good pay."

"You're a thief?"

"I am the current Guild Master of the Thieves Guild," she said, worried about his reaction.

He nodded in quiet thought as he stared into the flames. "Why did you join them?"

"I needed the money," she sighed. "And I didn't want to become an assassin like your uncle."

"Uncle is an assassin?" He looked sharply up at her.

Erimentha made a regretful face. "Wyman is the leader of the Dark Brotherhood here in Skyrim."

Blaise only nodded again. After a few minutes, ha spoke again. "Can you teach me?"

"To be an assassin?"

"To be a thief," he corrected.

She paused in her cooking for a moment. "Why do you want to be a thief?"

He shrugged. "Just in case."

She regarded him for a moment before a sly grin crossed her face. "Up to no good, are we? I'll teach you, but only a little."

"I can do it," he half pleaded.

"Okay. We'll start with lock picking. Go get some of my extra picks from upstairs and I'll lock your trunk."


	7. Chapter 7

A/n: Carp!

Child Of The Moon

Wyman entered Jorrvaskr, seeking rest after meeting with Skjor. The elder man had told him to meet him at the Underforge that night and he wanted to be sure he was ready for the transformation.

He knew he would be turned into a wolf. His kids would probably complain of the wet dog smell, but they would get over it. He flopped himself onto a bed and asked Ria to wake him at moonrise.

He woke just in time to meet Skjor outside. The older man led him to the Underforge where Aela waited, transformed. The next thing he knew, he was waking up naked in the forest, Aela holding his things.

"Yours was not an easy transformation. But you're still alive, so congratulations," she said as she handed over his things. "We even have a celebration planned for you. There's a pack of werewolf hunters camped nearby at Gallows Rock. The Silver Hand. I think you've met them before. We're going to slaughter them. All of them. Lead on. Skjor's already scouting ahead."

They cleared out the encampment, and found Skjor's body. After vowing revenge, they returned to Jorrvaskr to deliver the sad news.

* * *

Regina called Gold to make a house call about Henry. Orabella heard the call and insisted on joining him at Mary Margret's. Orabella took Henry's hand after he showed it to Mr. Gold. "Oh, yes," he said as she healed the burn on the young boy's hand. "You were quite right to call me," he went on to Regina as she stood next to her son.

"So you can help? It was just a dream," Henry asked, taking his hand back from his aunt, flexing it slowly.

"Well, what you're describing is certainty not a dream."

"Then what is it," Regina asked tersely.

"A side effect," Orabella explained calmly as she stepped to the table where Gold's bag of magic lay waiting.

"You know, it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about," Gold said from his place in front of the pair.

"My victims are not supposed to wake up," Regina snapped as Gold moved to the table as well. "So I never cared what happened to them after. Until now."

"When people fall under a sleeping curse, the soul travels to the netherworld, where it resides until awoken," Gold explained as he and Orabella unpacked some things. "Now, this world is between life and death. And it's very real." Henry moved closer to watch the pair as they practiced simple magic. "However, even when the curse is broken, sometimes, in sleep, the victims find their way back to that world. Victims like you," he said pointing to Henry.

"This other world is tormenting my son every time he sleeps," Regina said as she joined them at the table. "I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there."

"That's not possible, Reg," Orabella said as Gold put a stopper in a pendant vial.

"I can, however, provide you with something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world. And once one controls something, one no longer need fear it." Gold held out the pendant to Henry.

"A necklace?" The boy looked at it confused.

"You wear this while you're sleeping," Gold explained. "Once you control the journey, the fear will stop. And then you can come and go as you please."

Henry made to accept the pendant, but Regina stopped him. "Everything has a price with you. What do you want for this?"

"For a house call? You couldn't afford it," Gold snipped. "But this is for Henry. This one's on me," he said more gently, holding the pendant out again.


	8. Chapter 8

A/n: am I way late? Yes I am. Am I very sorry? I'm that too. Am I gonna do it again? Probably. You're getting a double chapter today in case I forget tomorrow.

Into the Deep

Devon waited with Cora at the bottom of the beanstalk for Hook to decsend. "I should have sent you up there."

"I wouldn't've come down," Devon snapped as he peered up against the rain.

"Not even for your children? Selfish."

"They're with their aunt. And if staying here means you never get near them, that's just a fathers poragitive."

Hook scaled down the last of the beanstalk and landed before them, facing away. Cora spoke first. "My dear Captain, it seems you've been on quite an adventure." She held out her hand. "The compass, please."

Hook turned to face them. "Yes, that. Well, matters grew complicated. It's eluded me for the moment. The details of the affair are a bit of a bore."

"Really?" Cora twitched her hand. Devon became enveloped in blue magic, and was forced to draw his war axe from his side. He threw the one handed man against the beanstalk, and rested his weapon on his captive's neck before Cora continued. "Stealing my protection spell before climbing the beanstalk without me might seem like a bore to you, but it me it's a betrayal."

"I was gonna bring it to you," Hook assured as he attempted to pull back from the blade. "Out agreement remains. We are going to Storybrooke together. I'll get it back."

"I don't have time for your games," Cora said, shaking her head.

"Cora, we need him," Devon ground out as he fought against the magic that controlled him.

"I've crossed through too many worlds to be brought short on the brink of success." She moved Devon slightly away. "Who was it who bested you?"

"The Swan girl, Emma. Rest assured, it wont happen again."

Cora laughed. "No, it wont. You chose her. And the consequences of that decision."

Hook was mock offended. "Oh, are you gonna kill me now?" He gestured to Devon. "Go ahead, try."

"So brave." The axe was moved closer before it and it's bearer were removed. Devon returned to Cora's side as she shrugged in her own disappointment. "No, I'm not going to kill you. I have something far more satisfying in mind. I'm going to leave you here. With your thirst for revenge unquenched, while I complete our journey without you."

"That's a bad idea, Cora," Devon said again attempting to convince her to bring Hook with them. Cora silenced him with a wave of her hand.

Hook tried charm. "There's no need to be rash. We can discuss this."

"Your pretty face buys you a lot," Cora said with a small smile. Then her smile dropped along with the temperature. "But not my time. It's too valuable."

"I can do this. I can get it back. Even your lackey says you need me," Hook practically pleaded.

She laughed again. "No, I don't." She moved away from Hook. "You've had your chance. Now, it's my turn to do this the right way."

Hook made to attack the pair, but with a wave of Cora's hand, they were transported back to the refugee camp. With another wave, Devon's' voice was free for him to use. "I'm telling you, Cora, you need to listen to me: we need Hook."

"You ever speak out of turn again, Absolute, you'll never speak again," Cora said dismissively as she reanimated some refugees to go after the quartet of women ahead of them.

* * *

Henry woke in Mr. Gold's shop with a startled gasp. "Henry? David went to his side first, followed by Regina and Orabella. Gold was already sat in a chair at the head of the bed. "Are you alright?"

"Did you see her? Did you tell them?" Gold lent forward in his chair.

"No, I didn't get a chance. Something... something happened. She... she got sucked out of there," Henry said regretfully, still waking. He groaned and clutched his arm.

"Henry?"

"Something's wrong."

Regina pulled back Henry's sleeve to reveal more burnt flesh from the room. "Henry," she gasped.

Gold switched positions with Regina. "Here," he said as he sat. "Let me take care of this." He waved his hand over the boy's arm and let his magic mend the blisters and burnt flesh.

"What caused this," Regina asked as she calmed down.

"When you venture deeper into the Netherworld instead of away, there are risks," Gold began to explain. "Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. We're lucky it wasn't worse."

Orabella pulled a small red vial from her pocket and knelt beside the bed. "Henry, I want you to drink this. It's a little tangy, but it's a healing potion. We don't know what's happened to your insides through all this."

He nodded and took the vial, sipping it slowly. "It tastes like breakfast," he commented as he continued to sip.

"Well, I did use the yolk of a Rock Warbler egg and wheat stalks to make it, so I'm not surprised. Adding it to some orange juice is what got my kids to drink it. And in Skyrim, oranges are very hard to come by." Henry only smiled as he finished the potion.

"He's gonna need some time to recover before he can be sent back," Gold said calmly, expecting a reaction.

"Out of the question."

"Not a chance in hell."

David and Regina vehemently opposed. David stood and continued. "We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again."

"Careful with your tone, Charming," Gold warned, standing to meet the younger man. "I understand your concern for the boy, but we know Cora." He gestured to Orabella who stood beside him. "Without our help, Snow and Emma will soon be dead. And then a true monster will be on her way to Storybrooke."

"Aurora is gone," Regina snapped, also standing. "Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?"

"Because someone will be there," David said optimistically.

"Who?"

"Snow."

"Thats an awfully big assumption."

"No, no, it's not. She was there once before. She can go back. She can find a way, she will. I know it." He looked between the trio ahead of him. "And I'll be waiting."

"You're going to this Netherworld?"

"Well, I've faced you. How bad could it be?"

"Where I come from, there's an expression fate likes to use in response to that line," Orabella said sarcastically. "It's 'hold my beer'."

"It's not as simple as that," Gold said calmly as he placed his hand on her arm to stop her. "You cant get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse."

"Well, then put me under one."

"If we do that, there's a chance you might never waken up."

"Sure, I will. When I see her, she'll kiss me. And I'll be fine. Now put me under. I've spent far too much time looking for my wife. It's time to bring her home!"

"Alright!" Orabella threw a calming spell over him. "Alright," she continued once his hackles had been soothed. "Regina, go make the spell, everything you need should be in the back." The woman in question looked a little hurt. "It will be okay," Orabella said gripping her hand gently. Regina nodded and made her way to the back room.

"We're going to have to do this the old fashioned way," Gold said as he walked over to a cupboard and rooted around inside of it for a few moments.

"What do you mean 'the old fashioned way'," David asked as Orabella waved him over to a spinning wheel to help her move it.

"You're about to join quite the distinguished club, Mr. Nolan," Gold said as he pulled a spinning needle from the cabinet. "Before such innovations as the apple, back when the sleeping curse first came to be, a more direct method was required. Through blood." He held up the needle. "By pricking one's finger on the needle of a spinning wheel, one falls under the spell." He turned to Regina who had rejoined them with the curse in hand. "Your Majesty, you did his wife, I'm sure you'd like to do the honors?"

Regina took the needle and dipped it into the potion for a moment before she inserted it into the wheel. "It's all yours," she said to David before she moved away. Gold gestured for Orabella to take the spinners place.

Henry approached his grandfather before he sat on the bed. "Good luck," he said giving him a hug.

"It's gonna be all right," David assured as he returned the hug.

"How do you know?"

"Well, how did you know Emma would save you after you ate the turnover," David asked sitting on the cot.

"I believed in her."

"The way Snow and I believed she'd come back to break the curse. That's the kind of faith that runs in our family."

Henry pulled the pendant Gold had given him off his neck. "This helps control the flames in the room," he said as he bestowed it around David's neck. "It'll keep you safe."

"I will guard it with my life," David promised.

Orabella began to spin the wheel. "When you're ready."

He sighed and reached for the needle. Then pulled back. "When I wake, I'll be in the fiery room?"

Orabella stopped the wheel as Gold spoke. "Not exactly. That room is where those who have already awoken from the curse return. You, however, are being put under for the first time."

"Then how will I know where to go? How the hell am I supposed to find a room with no door?"

"And that, dearie, is the conundrum we're all depending on you solving," Gold said testily. "Now, I say this with the upmost sincerity," he continued as his voice softened. "Good luck."

* * *

Devon followed Cora into the pit where she had left Aurora, only to find it empty. "Looking for someone?" A familiar voice came from behind them.

"Oh," Cora sighed in realization. "Oh, don't tell me you were dumb enough to let her go."

"She was never going to give you what you wanted anyway." Hook shrugged.

"So you freed her, and stuck around for the petty satisfaction of seeing me suffer?"

"Oh, watching you suffer is a tempting motivation, but it wasn't that."

"Well, then you must have a death wish." She used her magic to throw hook against the wall and hold him in the rock. She disattatched his hook and used it to pull his shirt back from over his heart. "You know I have to kill you."

"You should try thanking me."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"Because I've brought you a gift. It's in the satchel." He gestured to the brown leather that crossed his body.

Cora flicked her hand, causing Devon to rip the satchel off of the captive. "What is it?"

"Customarily, surprise is part of the fun of gift giving. Open it."

Devon showed Cora the contents. "Is that..."

"Indeed it is," assured Hook from his place on the wall. "And with it you'll get everything you want."


	9. Chapter 9

A/n: I did say two.

The Queen of Hearts

Devon fought against Mary Margret. "I am so sorry for this," he grunted as he dodged one of her arrows.

"Its Cora! She's controlling you!" Mary Margret rolled to the side to avoid his swing.

"We thought her control over us would stop when she was sent to Wonderland." One of her arrows stuck into his shoulder, making him drop his axe into the portal. "Get her!"

Mary Margret loosened an arrow at Cora, who disappeared into blue smoke. Devon dropped to the ground, clutching his shoulder. He didn't see Mulan running off with Aurora's heart, or Emma knocking Hook out with the compass. He did look up intime to see Cora blast mother and daughter back from the portal.

Emma pushed Mary Margret aside as Cora dove in for her heart. "Oh, you foolish girl," Cora chuckled. "Don't you know? Love is weakness." She tried to pull Emma's heart out of her body but failed.

"No," Emma whispered. "It's strength." The blast from Emma threw Cora back, knocking her unconscious. Mary Margret ran to her daughter's aid as Devon carefully stood and approached them. "What was that," Emma asked, still in shock.

"That... is a great subject of discussion... when we get home," Mary Margret said as she pulled Devon and Emma to the portal.

* * *

Orabella sat surrounded by school books, spell books, and journals, attempting to juggle helping her nieces and nephews with their studies, helping Gold cross the town line, helping Mother Superior bring back the memories lost by those who did cross, and deciphering her own handwriting to figure out a timeline of events. She had left the sleeping prince with his grandson, Regina, and Gold when Belle had told her she was going home.

"Why couldn't I have practiced writing more," she sighed as she stretched out her back.

"You're too busy doing other things, like killing dragons and making tea," Hroar said without looking up from his math homework.

"Cheek will only ever help you barter with shopkeepers," Lucia said from over top her history book.

"Both good points," Orabella said as she stood, quickly diverting an argument between brother and sister. She walked to the window and watched as storm clouds swarmed the sky out of nowhere and began to crackle with thunder. "Shit!" She scrambled to her journal quickly and flipped through the pages. "Shit!" She grabbed her coat. "Hroar, you're in charge until your father gets back. Should be about half an hour. Finish your homework."

Orabella flew through town, then through the forest to the well that connected to Lake Nostos. She arrived in time to see Regina pull Henry away from the well. "You idiots," she yelled over the storm and the magic covering the well. "She's not coming through! That's Emma and Mary Margret!"

"Can you be sure?" Gold regarded her with worry. If she was wrong... He'd rather not think on that.

"I swear to the Gods and the Daedric Princes that if you don't help me open that portal back up, I will make you wish you had," she snarled at him.

Without another thought, Gold pointed the Dark Fairy's wand at the portal as Regina full on drew the magic from the well and into herself. Orabella planted her feet and cast a variant of Expel Daedra to break through the barrier. With their combined efforts, the poisonous green barrier broke, throwing Regina back.

* * *

Emma held the compass out, Mary Margret took her hand, Devon wrapped the chain around his wrist and covered their hands with both of his. The trio jumped into the vortex.

* * *

"No!" Henry couldn't move. The portal was closed.

"I'm sorry, Henry," Regina sniffled from where she had landed. "I'm sorry."

"No," Orabella said striding up to the well. "Don't be sorry, Reg." She lent into the mouth of the well and extended her arm. "Grab my hand!"

Gold moved to grab her hand before he realized she was talking to someone inside the well. She pulled a weary looking Emma up first, who was happily reunited with her son. Mary Margret was next, worried for her husband. Devon came last.

"It's about time, lazy ass," Orabella said as she carefully healed his shoulder.

"Well, I needed my nap. I wasn't gonna get it around the kids. Thought I'd see what Cora was up to." He stretched his arm out.

"And how is she?"

"Still a bitch." The pair laughed. "My kids at home?"

"Hroar's in charge."

"Better hurry then." He hugged Orabella and quickly left. "We'll talk later!"

Gold turned her attention to him next. "I'm sorry we didn't confide with you our plans," he said quietly as he took her arm in his.

"I'm sorry I snapped," she conceded as he led her out of the woods. "But we do need to have a conversation when we get somewhere more private."

"Yes, Milady Lovely, as you command."

* * *

Devon opened the doors to the mostly empty orphanage. "I'm home!"

"Papa!"

The thundering of feet on hardwood was deafening. The pressure of six smaller bodies piling on top of him was hurtful. The cries of love from each person's lips as they surrounded each other was priceless.

He truly was home.

A/n: yay it's over!


	10. Chapter 10

A/n: ok I'm late, again. But I've quit my job so let me be. I've spent most of my time looking for a new one that hopefully will bring me home more often, that means I can actually be on time. Until then, please be patient. I'm trying really hard to remember to update amongst all this.

Also thank you to Siyah Ay and lunarwitch16 for favoriting this story the last month; it really makes me happy to know people like what I write.

I will be posting two chapters again, because this one is short.

The Cricket Game

Orabella and Devon walked up to Granny's. "Why am I here?"

"Because Mary Margret invited me and I invited you," Devon said just before he opened the door.

Some of the others turned to see who had entered but Mary Margret and Emma were the only ones to approach them. "Thanks you so much for watching Henry while I was gone," Emma said to the other woman with a hug.

"Oh, well, he is still technically my nephew," Orabella said as she drew back, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Anything for family. Did he tell you he's learning to sword fight?"

"And you gave him a horse," Emma said as Mary Margret led Devon away.

"It was either give him a living horse, or we use my skeletal one. I figured people would feel more comfortable with the latter." She shrugged. "And don't worry about him being alone in his 'training'. Hroar and Lucia are joining him, so he'll be socializing with kids his age."

Emma sighed happily. "You cant imagine how good that is for me to hear."

"I can," Orabella said, hiding the hurt. Emma looked confused. "'Once Upon A Time'..." The women shared a laugh. "I had children. I had a son and a daughter. I've felt mother's love before." They looked to Henry. "He looks like him sometimes."

"What happened to them?" Emma was in shock. She never knew much about Orabella, but to know she had kids...

"I lost them." The older woman's face betrayed her pain before a weak smile flitted across it. "But I'm close to finding them again."

"Where are they?"

"Over the town line. But they are in this world, I know it."

"I hope you find them."

"Me too."

* * *

"You want me to take Madesi's ring and plant it in Brand-Shei's pocket? Why?" Erimentha stood before Brynjolf in Riften's market square.

"There's someone that wants to see him put out of business permanently. That's all you need to know."

She agreed to the job. And almost succeeded. But she couldn't do it. She never could. He was innocent in this. She botched the job, but it was quickly forgotten with her next one.


	11. Chapter 11

A/n: and the second. A little longer, maybe a bit broken, but we're getting to longer chapters so I don't feel as guilty.

The Outsider

Orabella quickly entered the pawnshop. "It's finished?" In her excitement, she threw herself to the counter where Gold stood with a self satisfied smirk on his face. "You finished it?"

Gold took an exaggerated breath. "Indeed, I did." Her smile was more than enough as he reached for a vial. "When this potion is poured over the objects we each hold most dear, they become a talisman that allows us to cross over the town line and still remember who we are."

Her happiness was sweet on the tongue when she reached across the glass case to kiss him. "My genius hero," she praised. "Now, for safekeeping, whatever talisman you choose, keep it on you at all times."

"You think Hook will come to take it?" He turned and opened a hidden wall safe. From inside he pulled Baelfire's old shawl.

"He'll probably attack me in that hopes you'll leave it behind for Smee to find. Keep it with you, or give it to me, but don't leave it alone."

Gold wrapped the shawl around his neck. "If he comes after you..."

"Oh, he'll try," Orabella cut him off. "And I'd roast his ass if I didn't know he's relevant to the future." She though for a moment then shrugged. "I'll probably just freeze it off."

"You're planning something."

"Archie is alive and on Hook's ship. I'm going to set him free."

"Cora could be there."

"She's busy with her daughter. The ship will be clear. I'm not going now, I have to wait." Gold moved to speak. "Archie wont last long against Hook, you know that."

"I was going to say 'be careful'," he hastened, covering her hand with his. He thought for a moment and chuckled. "How did a loving, kind hearted, caring woman like you ever manage to fall in love with a beast like me?"

"Probably because you're not a beast, Stiltskin," she said bringing his hand up for a kiss. "You battle against true darkness as much as I do. We are neutral. We continue the plot. We are chaotic, and play both sides. Two sides of the same coin. I, slightly more light, and you, the more dark. Together we keep balance in the world." He smiled down at her. "And Devon helps sometimes, too," she added as an afterthought.

The pair laughed. "Go," Gold urged her. "Call me if you need me."

"I will." She hurried out of the store, ready to find a lost cricket.

* * *

The pair drove to the town line and stopped waiting for the heavier rain to pass over them. They exited the car and toed the spray painted line. She held out Balefire's shawl for him to pour some of the potion on.

She draped it over his shoulders, half noticing how wet they were becoming from the patchy rain. "Okay," she smiled, knowing it would work but still worrying what she would do if it didn't.

"Here we go." He took a careful step over the spray painted line, leaving her behind. Magic enfolded him for a moment before he spun to face her with a smile. "Stacia Erimentha Certainty Orabella Marquardt-Shine."

She laughed and held out her hand for his. "Now we can go find Bae."

"Almost," he chided. She looked confused. "You said Cora would bring me what I need to find him."

She would've slapped herself if he hadn't been holding her hands. "I completely forgot." Her face fell with worry. "But that happens after-." She was cut off by a shot resounding through the night, and a stinging pain going through her shoulder. She fell forward from the force. Before she crossed the town line, a ball of Magelight erupted from her hand and sped off down the road.

"Happily never after," Hook said from behind Orabella as she fell.

"Ora! Ora, are you alright?" Gold looked to the woman in his arms.

She looked around confused. "What?"

"Oh, fear not, Crocodile, she'll live. She'll just have no idea who you are," Hook said with his gun still pointed at the pair.

"What?"

"What you've done cannot be undone," Gold gasped in anguish.

"Well, now you finally know how it feels," Hook said snidely. He threw his arms open wide. "Well, go ahead, Crocodile. Do your worst."

Gold moved Orabella back over the town line. "I intend to," he said summoning a ball of fire.

"What?" Orabella sharply pulled away from Gold but ended up rolling them over as a car came careening down the road, her Magelight stuck in the windshield.

The driver was blinded and struggled to stop, but plowed into Hook where he stood. The car veered into the other lane, skidded and hit a boulder before it stopped.

"What?"


	12. Chapter 12

A/n: ok i genuinely don't remember when i last posted and i hope this is on track. also im very sure there were no iPhone 6s's out when this was made.

In the Name of the Brother

Gold dialed the Sheriff then lent over Orabella, who had passed out from the shock of her injuries. "Ora! Ora, Lovely, please wake up." He healed her shoulder where she had been shot and brushed her hair from her face. "Please, Dearest." Rain began to pour again.

Sirens wailed in the distance. Gold knew nothing until David pulled him back so the Mary Margret could get to the unconscious woman. "What happened?"

"Hook shot her. She crossed over the line. She's unconscious," Gold said as thunder rang overhead.

Hook's voice carried over to them. "His True Love, gone in an instant! Just like Milah, Crocodile, when you took her from me."

Gold moved over to the man. "But you took her first." He kicked the fallen man in his already broken nose.

"Gold! Are you insane?" Emma watched as the pawnbroker descended on the pirate.

"Yes, I am," he said as he attempted to choke Hook with his cane, fighting against David and Emma to do so.

"You can't do this," David said as he finally pulled Gold far enough away to stop him from choking the other man.

"I can if you let me go," he slightly sing-songed.

"What if Orabella wakes up?" Emma tried to use reason. "You don't want her to see that."

"I'll be a stranger to her," Gold countered.

"Murder is a bad first impression."

"What would she want you to do?"

David's words cut through Gold's crazed thoughts long enough for the prince to pull him up. 'I'd roast his ass if I didn't know he's relevant to the future.' Her words rang though his ears.

The ambulance approached and took with it three victims: Hook, Orabella, and the driver of the of the car. The Charming's and Gold followed them through town to the hospital.

He was forced to wait while the nurses did an X-ray of her shoulder to ensure no fragments of the bullet remained. When she was given her own room and left alone, he snuck in.

She looked peaceful despite the ugly yellow patients gown and pale blue bedding of the hospital bed. Both colors clashed horribly with her red hair, which was splayed over her pillow. 'She could almost be asleep at home,' he thought as he lent over her.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and drew back as an unconscious smile drew her awake. "Please don't scream," he pleaded when her brow furrowed.

"I'm not gonna scream, Stiltskin," she assured with a confused but calm smile.

"What?"

"That's exactly what I've been wondering," she said as she moved to sit up. She waved at a closet across the room, using her telekinetic magic to open the door and pull a box out before Gold stopped her.

"You should be resting, Lovely, not using your magic for little things," he chided as he grabbed the box and placed it on her lap.

"I know, I'm just so excited," she grinned as she rummaged through the box. "Because, I don't think it was just the rain that got my hands wet," she continued as she pulled out her ring from her affects bag. The thick gold band glowed blue as it returned to her finger. "You might've put too much on the the shawl and it dripped down to my hands."

Gold smiled at her, cupping her face in his hands and bringing her in for another kiss. "I've never been so glad for clumsy fingers."

"Nor I," she smiled as she leaned back into him for another kiss. She stopped the kiss abruptly when something popped into her head. "Cora's at the shop! She's waiting for you with the tracking globe!"

Gold kissed her again, dreading his next encounter with his former pupil. "I'll be back soon, lovely."

"I know. Be careful." He only smiled as he left.

* * *

Emma popped her head into the room. "Hey, I heard you were awake."

"Almost up and at it say the nurses," Orabella said from her upright position over her food.

"Braving the food, I see," the Sheriff said as she entered to room fully.

"It's not Apple Cabbage Stew and Mammoth Steak, but I'll never say no to red jello," the older woman said as she jiggled the dessert cup.

"The nurses said you retained your memory. How?"

Orabella shrugged. "I'm from the outside world, it could be those memories protected me... you're not buying that one."

Emma had crossed her arms. "Nope."

"Okay, that's the story you tell people, though," she said lifting a warning finger. Emma nodded as she continued. "Gold made a potion. Some of it got on me and protected me."

"Anymore of this potion?"

"You'll have to ask him."

Emma turned to leave. "'You're from the outside world'. Did you think that one would work?"

"I am from the outside world." She looked the Sheriff in the eye. "I was using an iPhone 6s before even Regina was born."

"There is no iPhone 6s."

"Yet." She cocked an eyebrow and donned a smirk. "I was born here, grew up here, and lived here, in this realm. Same with Devon." Emma's jaw dropped when she saw it was the truth. "Yeah, it gets worse. But that's for another time. You have a driver to check up on."

"I-I do? I do!" She overcame her shock. "I'll see you later." Emma quickly hurried out of the room.

* * *

Gold entered the room excitedly. "I've found him." Orebella's eyes brightened by the news. "You were right. He's in New York. In Manhattan. I've got Frankenstein releasing you from the hospital now. The flight's booked. We're almost ready to go, Lovely." He kissed her deeply, wanting to get the taste of Cora off of his lips. She moaned happily under her lovers pressure. He moved to lay her back on the bed and lent over her.

A nurse coughed from the doorway. "I have some papers for you to sign, Miss Shine."

Orabella waved to the table over the end of the bed as Gold pulled away from her. "I'm sorry," He said softly as the nurse left. "Cora kissed me," he admitted as he hung his head ashamedly.

She pulled his head up to look at her. "Did you enjoy the kiss?"

"No, no, of course not, Dearest," he said as he sat on the bed.

"Then don't worry about it," she said as she stood and turned to change. "I'm so glad she's dying soon, or I'd be tempted to do it myself, because I know she enjoyed herself."

"How soon?" He followed her to the bathroom where she had brought her clothes. "Care to share?"

She cracked the door. "Not really," she teased. "I have to get dressed and sign things and we have to pack and you have to get another ticket for Henry."

"Henry?" She couldn't see the unpleasant face he made.

"You know Emma wont leave him here." She opened the door wide and walked out.

He sighed but nodded. "We'll leave this afternoon." He leaned down to kiss her again. "Let's be off. Mustn't be late."


	13. Chapter 13

A/n: I'm so sorry for my absence. The last month has been crazy. What with the new job and other things going on. But I should be updating on a regular basis now.

Also I may have told everyone about my desire to write a Skyrim/Dragon Age crossover. I have a few characters penned out but I would like some help on how I could get the DB's over to Thedas. I know *how* they get over but I don't know who calls for their aid against the blight. If anyone has any ideas that would be great.

Tiny

The four of them sat in Gold's Crown Victoria. Him driving, Orabella beside him, Emma and Henry sitting the back. "So where are we going," the boy asked as he moved to see the road.

"Logan International Airport," Gold said evenly, still not liking that he was forced to bring Henry along.

Orabella placed her hand on his leg and squeezed gently as Emma spoke. "I think he meant after that."

"Let's just take things one step at a time, shall we?" He grabbed hold of Orabella's hand as they all came closer to the town line.

Emma looked to the shawl around Gold's neck. "You really think those things are gonna work?"

"Well, if it doesn't and we revert back to our cursed selves, we're all going to have some problems," Orabella said as she turned her head and saw Henry. "You should sit back in your seat, dear. If we do turn back, there may be an accident. We wouldn't want you flying through the front shield."

"It'll work," Gold assured them all as they approached the line.

As they crossed over the magical border that kept it's denizens inside the city limits, a blue field of the magic covered over Gold and Orabella, and then disappeared. "So," Emma questioned from the back seat.

"My name is Rumplestiltskin," Gold said as he continued to drive.

"And we're going to find our children," Orabella finished as she watched a smirk appear on her lover's face.

* * *

David and Mary Margret knocked on the front door of the old orphanage, now the home of Devon and his kids. The door swung open to reveal a short brown haired girl. "Hi, Mr. David."

"Hey, Lucia, is your dad at home?"

"Yup, he's in the library helping with homework and going through Aunties books." She motioned them inside. "Henry didn't tend to his horse this morning. Is he okay?"

"Oh, yeah, he's fine. He and his mom had to go out of town with your aunt and Mr. Gold. They'll be back soon."

The little girl nodded as she led the way through the house. "Are we still gonna work on our swordsmanship without him?"

"You might have to ask your dad about that one," David said as they reached the library.

Lucia nodded and turned away. "Papa. Mr. David came to talk to you."

Devon looked up from Alesen and his homework. "Hello. Just a second." He looked back down to the work. "So we move this here and cross this out."

"Because they equal out?"

"Yep then what we're left with is the answer."

"I think I get it."

"Okay, then you work on the next one while I help them," Devon said before standing and making his way over to the royal pair. "Can I help you?"

"We hope you will," Mary Margret said. "I remember, when you worked for Regina, you and Certainty were able to tell her what was coming."

"And you want the same," Devon surmised.

"We just want to know what James did to a giant."

"Anton?" The pair nodded. "He befriended, lied to, betrayed him, and killed his family."

"What?" David was shocked. "Why?"

"Beans and gold. Sacrificed his lover too. Let me guess, he's the one who gave you the shiner?" Devon motioned to David's bruised face. "There's a potion for that."

"No, I'm good. How do we convince him I'm not James?"

"You find a way to show him," Devon said plainly. "And quick. I'm sure Regina already made him big again."

"'Big again'?"

There was a crash outside.

"'Big again'."

* * *

The quartet gathered their tickets from the counter and made their way to the security line. Henry turned to the pawnbroker. "Have you ever been outside of Storybrooke, Mr. Gold?"

"No," he said, somewhat thankful for the distraction.

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"Are you worried about meeting your son?"

"I know I am," Orabella said as she removed her coat and shoes

"How about we talk about this later, kid," Emma said as they became next in line.

"It must be really hard not to use magic," Henry continued as he set his things in a bin on the conveyer. "Being like everyone else."

Gold looked at the action confusedly. "You gotta put your shoes in," Emma supplied

"How terribly uncivilized," Gold said as he saw Orabella's head perk up with worry. "What is it, Ora?"

"We cant go through with the talismans," she whispered.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot. It's been so long since I've been on a plane."

"It ain't rocket science buddy," a man behind them said impatiently. "You ever been on a plane before?"

"Have you ever been impaled upon a cane before," Gold snapped, brandishing the aforementioned object.

Orabella was made to go through the metal detector next. "Ma'am, please remove all your jewelry," the guard asked as he held out a smaller tray for her ring and pendant.

"Oh, right," she said nervously as she took off her pendant. "I forgot. It's been a while." The guard smiled kindly at her as the commotion behind her settled. She gulped and pulled her ring from her finger.

She was in an airport. Why? She couldn't recall where she was going. Canada? Where was her passport? Why was Jared Gilmore looking at her like that? And why was he so small? The guard was holding a tray out to her. She didn't recognize the things but she may as well take them. Wow, the ring was pretty.

Her head cleared and she quickly grabbed her pendant and looked behind her. Gold was speaking to Emma. "Just put your shawl in the bin," Orabella called to him from the other side. "We'll help you get through." Gold looked uncertain and slightly afraid. "Trust me, Stiltskin," she whispered earnestly. "I wont let you forget."

He began to breath heavily but nodded and the shawl was pulled from his shoulders.

Where was he? Where were his shoes? He looked ahead of him and saw Orabella. She looked beautiful. She was calling out to him. What was that rag in her hands? She called him again. Perhaps she knew where his shoes were. What was she doing with the shawl in her hands?

"Robert? Can you hear me?" Orabella held onto the shawl as she looked into his eyes.

"I'm fine, Erimentha," he said, taking her hands in his. She smiled genuinely at him as they turned to collect the rest of their things.

"Guys, there's a Cinnabon's here!" Henry was excited despite the adults heavy presence. He grabbed his aunt's hand. "C'mon, Auntie Ora!"

* * *

Gold paced in front of where they were sitting. Orabella's legs were jumpy, but she wouldn't join him. Henry and Emma sat watching the impatient and nervous man walk. "Do you want something to eat?" The younger woman asked.

"No."

"Is something wrong?"

"Stop asking me/him that," Gold and Orabella snapped together.

Gold sighed. "I'll be right back."

They watched as he left before Emma turned to Orabella. "So... Have you ever flown before?"

"Several times. Both on planes and on dragons. I've even been to New York City before. Chinatown is beautiful, but don't ask me to eat the food."

"Wow," Emma said surprised.

"Didn't think I was really from here?" She took the younger woman's silence as an affirmative. "I grew up in Carlton, Minnesota. Tiny enough place, but it is what it is." An announcement sounded overhead. "That's us," she said standing.

"Hey kid, why don't you get Mr. Gold from the bathroom," Emma said as they collected their things.


	14. Chapter 14

Manhattan

Blaise sat on a chair in front of the fire pit in his mother's house in Whiterun, waiting for her to return from wherever errand the Jarl had sent her on. He had Sissel out to play when he read his mother's journals.

Her red leather bound journals that neither of them were to touch ever.

Now he knew why.

How long was she going to wait to tell him of the truth? Would she have told him at all?

The door opened. "I'm home." The armored figure stopped when it spotted him in the chair. "Blaise! I didn't know you were-."

He held up the one of the journals making her fall silent. "I read them, Stacia," he spat her old name at her, making her jump and take off her cowl. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

She took a breath and adjusted her jaw. "No, I wasn't."

He felt himself overcome with rage and jumped to his feet. "If this is how you wanted us to be, untrusting and selfish, why did you adopt me?"

Erimentha swallowed the lump in her throat. "Because every child needs love. That includes you. And I love you, Blaise!"

He threw the book onto the other chair, and picked up his coat. "I'm leaving. I don't care about Guild work, but I never want to speak to you again." With that he brushed past her and out the door.

* * *

The taxi cab pulled up to the curb, shaking Orabella from her memories. Gold exited and helped her out after paying for the cab. The quartet gathered and looked up at the brickstone building.

"What's wrong," Emma asked the silent man. "This the right place?"

"Yes, it is," he said, still staring at the apartments, making no move to go inside.

"Let me guess, he's not expecting you?" The parent pair looked away from her. "Well, who doesn't love a surprise?" Emma led them in.

Henry looked at the buzzer list. "No Baelfire."

Emma smirked. "Yeah, that probably wouldn't fly as an alias." She looked to Gold. "Your magic globe didn't give you an apartment number?"

"It doesn't work that way," Gold said as Orabella pointed to one.

"This is him," she said confidently.

"Well, or it could just be vacant." The look she gave him would have hurt him had they been in Storybrooke. "Or it's him and I shouldn't question you."

Emma pressed the buzzer and waited for the room to pick up. "UPS package for 407." The line clicked off but the door didn't open.

"Maybe you should've said FedEx," Henry offered.

There was a crash from upstairs. "He's running." Emma led the way back to the street.

They gathered outside and noticed a man in a black jacket and a hood making his way out from the fire escape. "That-that favor you owe me," Gold said to Emma before the man got too far away. "This is it. Get him to talk to me. I-I can't run." He gestured to his leg.

"Watch Henry. I'll be back," Emma barked before going after the man.

Orabella sighed and looked down to Henry. "Come on, Henry, you must be hungry. You've only had cinnamon rolls today, and that's not enough. Two things you hafta try in NYC before you're allowed to leave are cart dogs and proper NYC pizza," she said as she steered him towards a hotdog cart.

* * *

Orabella fiddled with one of her lock picks as she paced back and forth in front of Gold and Henry. The two of them were seated on a bench talking as she worried the metal between her teeth.

Gold reached out to grab her hand as she passed. She jumped, not expecting the action. "Hmm? What?"

"I said you should sit down," he chided.

"No, too nervous now. Any minute, she's gonna come back through that door."

At that moment Emma walked back into the apartment building. Gold stood. "Did you find him?"

"Sorry. Your son... got away." They let out a breath before they turned to the door. He pressing buttons, and she working the lock. "Hey, wait. What are you doing?" Emma put a hand on the older woman's shoulder.

The door swung open. "Finding our kids."

"He's gone," Emma said as she held Henry back and the couple passed through the security gate.

"But he lives here," Gold said turning to the Savior as the former head of the Thieves Guild bounded quietly up the stairs. "He'll be back, and we'll be waiting.

The three of them followed Orabella up the stairs to find her kneeling before the lock of 407. "Stop. You can't just break in," Emma tried to reason.

"Watch me," the woman said as the tumblers turned.

"He might not come back," Emma pointed out as Orabella stood up and packed away her lock pick away.

"Oh, he will. This is not something to argue about with me Emma, it's one of the few things I remember."

"No, don't do this. There are things called laws. You could get arrested."

"Final warning, Miss Swan," she said as she grasped the handle, turned it, and opened the door wide.

She entered first, Gold following closely behind her, Emma and Henry coming in after. Orabella looked over the pictures and posters on the walls and shelves as Gold did the same. Emma continued her attempts to get them back out of the apartment. "Ora, Gold, come on, please. We really shouldn't be here."

"I don't think they're listening," Henry said as the door was shut.

The group spread out, looking through the place until Emma found a dream catcher and sent Henry to wait in the bathroom to argue with Gold.

"But I can help-" he tried to argue with his mother.

"Henry go!"

Orabella held her hand out to him. "Come on, kid. We'll wait together." She ushered him into the bathroom and leaned against the door.

"Is my mom gonna be okay," Henry asked as he leaned against the sink.

"She'll be okay. I'm more than certain that Bae will be back soon."

"Are you excited to see your son?"

"I'm more worried about my daughter," she sighed. "I can't tell you the number of times I've prayed to the Gods for her safety."

"How old are you anyway?" He pushed off the sink to stand straight.

"Oh, gosh," she said as she heard the door in the other room burst open. "Twenty-seven-ish years in my realm, five-maybe in Skyrim, forty-some in the Enchanted Forest, and thirty because of the curse, makes about 100... 110-ish years old, not including time spent in Oblivion or in Sovunguard.

"Wow," he said with a shocked face.

"Yeah, I'm old."

Gold's voice was heard through the door. "How do you two know each other?!"

"Maybe you should go see what's going on," Orabella said as she opened the door and scooted him out. She shut the door and waited inside, listening to the muffled voices on the other side of the door. When she heard the faint voices of her lover and her son she stood closer to the door, waiting for them to part.

Gold opened the door and looked at her. "He wont talk to me," he whispered.

She held her arms open for him. Despite all his years as the Dark One, hiding behind his insanity and his magic, he was still a man of emotions. Emotions shared only with her: his insecurities as a father, his fear of what would happen when they finally met their children, his love for her and all they had. These were things only she ever saw, things no one else would ever believe he had.

"He'll feel different when he sees me," she said as he pulled her into him.

He only nodded and they exited the bathroom. Orabella went to the window and waved at Henry before pointing to Neal with a smile. Henry grinned before turning back to his father. "There's someone else who'd like to see you."

"Henry, I don't think I can take anymore surprises today," Neal said as he shook his head.

"You'll want to see her," Henry said as he motioned for Orabella to climb out onto the fire escape. "Her name's Orabella. She's my aunt. And now, I guess, my Grandma."

Neal turned to face her and was shocked as she flipped her loose hair out of her face. "Mama?"

"My sweet boy." She smiled, happy tears collecting in her eyes. "You told me to find you. So, I came looking."

Neal pulled his mother to him in a tight hug. "We thought we'd never see you again."

"Your sister is here?" Orabella looked at him hopefully.

"Yeah, she's at work right now. We're meeting at Arco later after she's done."

"She's at work? Maybe we can go meet her surprise her?"

Neal laughed a little as he let her go. "Yeah she works at a tea shop in the mall. Good pay, she's a manager."

"A tea shop?" Orabella's eyes threatened to spill.

"Oh, mama, don't cry, please." He pulled her in again. "She asked me what you would do if you were here. I told her about the journals. I told her you loved your job as a commissary drink mixer for the studios."

"And she went to follow me?"

"She just wanted to be like you. Have a job and a family." He pulled her away again. "You did so good with us, mama. Even after I said I never wanted to speak to you again, you never once let on to her that we were having problems."

"I never should have written those damn journals." Her tears finally broke free as she remembered that day.

Neal wiped away the fallen tears. "No, mama, I should never have read them. They were yours, and you told us not to read them. And I've never forgotten the look on your face the day of the storm. I meant what I said, you are nothing like them. And I'm so grateful everyday that I can still think of you as my mother."

Her tears were coming from her eyes like a waterfall. "I'm so sorry I let go of you."

"No, mama, I let go. And you found me." They both gave a watery chuckle. Then his phone went off. He wiped his face, pulled his phone from his pocket, and began speaking to the person on the other end. "Hey, sis. Yeah, I'm on my way now. Yeah. And! I've got one hell of a surprise for you. Yeah. No, I'm not gonna tell you what it is. A hint? It's not what you think. Yeah, I'm on my way. See you in a few." He hung up and turned back to Orabella who was wiping off her own face. "Ready to go see Celia?"

"'Celia'? Is that her name now," She asked as he climbed back into the apartment.

"Well, 'Cecilia', but I call her 'Celia', or 'Celly' if she's being childish," he said as he helped her follow. "Come on, Henry, mama. Let's go get some pizza!"


	15. Chapter 15

The Queen Is Dead

The five of them walked down the street, Orabella up front with Neal and Henry, Emma and Gold trailing after them. "So, uh, you like pizza?" Neal was still adjusting to all of the shocks he had received.

"Oh, no," Orabella said as she shook her head. "He hates pizza, don't you kid?"

Henry laughed. "No, I like pizza. Let me guess, you're gonna tell me the best pizza's in New York and I gotta try it, right?"

"Actually, it's in the Kingdom of Damarian on the North Shore of the Dragon Fields of Zorn," Neal corrected as they stood in front of the pizzeria."

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that place," Orabella agreed. "We've gotta go back there."

Henry looked at them as though he didn't believe them. "Nah, it's in New York," Neal said as he opened the door to the pizza place. "Here, let's get you a slice." He looked around the restaurant. "I don't see Celia," he said as he pulled out his phone. "Because she missed her bus and has to walk. I'll tell her we'll wait."

"No," Orabella said quickly. "We can go meet her in the street or back at the apartment. This place seems like it's gain to fill up soon."

"Okay, we'll grab some slices to go," Neal said as he texted his sister. The three of them got their food and exited the parlor, interrupting the conversation between Emma and Gold. "What are we talking about?"

Neither of them answered. Henry broke the silence. "Cecilia missed her bus. We're gonna go meet her back at the apartment."

"Cool," Emma said nodding. "You like the New York pizza?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. It's delicious, cheesy, and doesn't lie," he said before pulling his grandmother by the arm down the street.

* * *

Henry walked between his grandparents. "So should I call you 'grandpa' now," he asked Gold as they led the way back to the apartment.

"Call me what ever you like," he said as he shot a look to Orabella, pleading for a private audience.

Henry looked to her as she nodded subtly. "Can I call you 'Grams'? Or do I have to keep calling you 'Auntie Ora'?"

"You can call me 'Nana' if you like," she said looking down to him. "It's what I used to call my grandmother."

He thought about it for a second. "I like 'Nana'," he agreed. "Hey, what's some other stuff we should see while we're in the City?"

"Well, there's Grand Central Station. We could take the subway there."

"Oh, yeah. I'll go ask." He went back to his parents as his grandparents waited at the building door.

The group entered and the sons went upstairs to get the camera as the rest of them stayed down there. Gold turned to Emma. "So did you talk to him?"

"Quick thing before this conversation happens," Orabella interrupted.

"What?" Emma looked confused.

"I remembered on the way back that Hook is here," the older woman said as the door opened behind the younger one.

The man himself shoved Emma to the side. It was long enough for Orabella to grab him by the hook and make him stab her, as opposed to Gold, his target. "Lookie-lookie. I've got Hookie," she groaned as she unhooked the object from it's owner. She crashed against the wall in pain just before Emma regained her bearings and knocked the pirate out with an umbrella stand.

Gold kneeled down over Orabella. "Lovely?"

Emma joined them. "Are you okay?"

Orabella breathed deeply as Neal ran back down the stairs. "What the hell is going on?" He opened the security door and crouched beside his mother.

"One of their enemies found us," Emma said as she stood back and looked to the unconscious man.

"Hook," Neal muttered as Orabella pulled the object from her breast.

"You know him?"

Emma was ignored by the building door opening again. "Neal?" He turned and faced the blond haired brown eyed incomer, revealing Orabella as he did so. "Mama?"

Neal watched as his sister began to see the blood. "Surprise, sis."

* * *

Neal helped Orabella up the stairs as Emma and Cecilia dragged the unconscious pirate to the storage room.

Orabella couldn't concentrate on what was going on around her. She heard something about a pirate ship as she was stripped of her coat and scarf by her daughter. She heard her step away and her lover hissing at Henry, saying it was all the child's fault.

"Stiltskin," she hissed as he opened her shirt to get to the wound.

Neal came back to her side with a wet rag. "We've gotta get her to the E.R. fast," he said as his sister brought him a bowl of water.

"It's pointless," Gold told him as he examined the puss excreting from the wound.

"What is that," Cecilia asked the man who was a little too close to her mother.

"It's poison," Orabella strained as Gold lent her against him. "Hook's own design. I go to a hospital, I wont last very long."

"There's gotta be some way we can save you," Neal said as he continued to clean the wound.

"There is," mother and father said together.

"Storybrooke," Emma said. "There's magic there now."

"Then we need to get her there," Cecilia said as she took over for her brother.

"I'll get a car," Neal said as he took out his phone.

"We don't have time," said Gold, stopping his son. "We need something faster."

"The ship," Orabella said before she was shushed by her daughter.

"The 'Jolly Roger' instead of a car," Emma asked.

"It's the fastest vessel in all the realms," Gold said to her, wishing someone would hurry up and get them moving.

"Well, that's great, but who's gonna captain it since the only guy qualified wants you both dead?"

"Neal."

"I can do it."

Mother and son spoke simultaneously.

"You know how to sail a pirate ship?"

"Yeah, I do," he said looking to his former lover.

Orabella was pulled back into her pain, only able to half listen as her children set out to find a car and Emma tell Gold of Cora's plan's to find his dagger. "That's something I should tell you," she said weakly to Gold. "I read it before we left and figured it was a good idea, but now..."

"What is it, Lovely?" He pulled her closer so she wouldn't have to speak so loud.

"I took the dagger with me before we left so Cora wouldn't be able to get it. It's too dangerous. I put a fake in it's place."

Gold said nothing, but leaned down and kissed her forehead. She was always protecting him. Soon, he had no doubt, he would loose her because of it.

Emma called her father and told him of the knife's true location. Neal and Cecilia came back, having found a car. Not long after, they and Emma left to retrieve it.


	16. Chapter 16

WARNING: Contains Spoilers

The Miller's Daughter

Neal and Henry laughed above deck with Emma as Gold and Cecilia took care of Orabella below. Cecilia crossed her arms and eyed the older man. "So who are you?" Gold looked away from his unconscious lover to her daughter. "I get that your Neal's father and all that, but who are you to my mother?"

Gold sighed. "I suppose it is your business, being her daughter and all. I am Orabella's true love."

Cecilia's eyebrows shot up as she asked the first question that came to her mind. "Does Neal know?"

"No, not yet," he admitted.

She bit her lip and nodded slowly. "Do you want me to tell him?"

"No, don't do that, dearie," he said standing. "Your mother and I will do that ourselves. After we have this whole thing settled."

She nodded again before sighing and sitting on the bench next to the invalid. "So how did you two meet?"

"She technically was a payment from a pupil of mine. She became my 'housecarl' as she called it. She was very skilled. She cooked my meals, cleaned my linen and protected my house. And then she told me about my son being hers. I was angry at first. Then I couldn't help but be grateful that she had taken care of my boy out of the goodness of her heart. I promised her I'd find a way to find him. I found myself falling in love with her. Then she told me of her previous life..." he trailed off in thought.

"About her being from this world, kind of," Cecilia asked, looking up at him. She saw his apprehensiveness and continued. "It's okay, you can say it. Neal told me about what he read in mom's journals. How she worked for a TV studio that had a show molded after his old life."

"Yes, she told me all about that," he said as he sat next to her. "I know you don't know me. All of your knowledge of me comes from your brother. I admit that he probably doesn't paint a pretty picture. But I love your mother with everything I have. And I wonder everyday how she can love me with all the darkness that I carry."

Cecilia nodded in surprise. "Wow, okay then, I guess." She leaned down close to his ear. "But I'm her daughter. You hurt her, I don't care what your powers you have, I'll kill you." She stood up and walked out.

* * *

She was taking the laundry down from the drying lines thinking about her predicament. 'Absolutely not,' she thought to herself. 'He'll trade for Belle in a few years and then things will be fine," she thought with a nod of finality. She could feel her heart tearing at the thought.

'Though, Emilie even hates her, so what's the harm?'

'No, don't even...'

'Why not do two favors at once? More if you use her to bring him back after Neverland.'

'She gets pregnant!'

'You don't even know if she gets out of the box! She doesn't really love him, she said it herself!'

"You seem to be thinking rather hard on something, Lovely." Her master's voice sounded beside her. She jumped and looked at him. "You've been standing here for half an hour. What's on your mind?"

"The future," she said honestly. He always knew when she was lying now that he had taken and hidden all of her face masks.

"You have a problem?"

"I have several," she sighed as she continued with the laundry.

"Anything I can do to ease your mind?" He grabbed the basket of dried linen before she could and held an elbow out for her.

She hesitantly took it. "I'm unsure of what comfort you could bring." They headed back to the castle. "A man I care for is destined for another who only loves a shadow of a thought of him. If I intervene, I do two favors. If not the story will go unchanged and bring pain to all parties."

He stopped and turned to stare into her eyes. "Which will bring you more happiness?"

"It's not a question of my happiness. The story-"

"Damn the story!" He poofed them into the main hall. "If you knew nothing of the future, what would you do?"

She took the basket, placed it on the table, and began folding things. "I don't have the luxury of not knowing. I want to save him of his heartache, but I don't know how the story ends."

"Then you know what you want to do," he said as he slipped up behind her. "The question is... can you do it?"

"I'm not strong enough," she admitted with a defeated sigh. "I cant just break the time line to fit my fancy."

"Of course you can." He stilled her hands and brought his lips to the shell of her ear. "Your presence already has."

She pushed him back and twirled around the table. "Stop this, Stiltskin," she commanded, grabbing the partially folded basket.

"Why?" He stalked her as she fled the room, his anger flaring. "Are you so afraid of me? I love you! That's not going to change! No matter what you do-"

She whirled around on the steps to face him. "I don't want it to," she yelled at him, her own anger matching his. She took a deep breath and continued. "I don't want it to. But I'm not smart enough to re-write what has been written. I can't imagine such a thing, as much as I want to."

"Well, you don't have much of a choice anymore, do you, Lovely?" He held up a few strands of her hair.

"What are you doing?" She took a few steps down to get closer to him.

"Giving you proof," he shrugged before he disappeared.

"Stiltskin!" She dropped the basket to grab her skirts as she ran up the stairs to his laboratory.

She found him with her hair and a vial in his hands. As she cautiously entered, he threaded her hair into the vial and ran his hand through his own hair. A few strands broke free and were added to the vial with her own. The hairs entwined themselves together and began to glow: A dark green for her, a brilliant gold for him.

"Do you know what this is, Lovely," he asked shaking the vial at her.

She swallowed as she nodded, taking tentative steps towards him. "I do," she said taking the vial gently from his hands. "And I know what it means, but I don't understand." She thought to herself for a minute. "Did you foresee this happening?"

He laughed manically and wrapped himself around her and the vial. "I've known since Cora came to me before her wedding."

Certainty gasped. "That was nearly thirty years ago!"

"And you've not aged a day," he said as he caressed the side of her face.

She snorted. "I blame the dragon souls. They're surprisingly good for the skin."

The pair shared a chuckle as the hairs dissolved into liquid magic.

* * *

They transferred Orabella back to land with magic. Gold moved her so she was resting against her daughter in the bed of David's truck. Devon pulled out a bottle of cure poison. "I don't know if it'll work, but it should at least slow down the effects."

"Ora, where's the dagger now?" David threw a blanket over her as Mary Margret helped clean the wound.

"I have it," she gasped. "It's where she can't get it."

"But she can control you," Mary Margret said.

"Only her actions, not her words," Devon corrected. "Cora would need her heart for that.

"Well, she can't have it," Gold said popping up at the foot of the truck. "Now, let's take her back to the shop. There's magic there that can protect us."

They sent Henry off with Devon, who was too much of an added liability to stay with them. They brought her to the cot in the back of the shop. Gold gave out instructions to the gathered group, sending them all out of the room until only Mary Margret remained. "Can you grab a warmer blanket from the cupboard," he asked her, pointing to the specific one as he helped Orabella become more comfortable on the cot.

She found the candle and reluctantly took it with her. Now only time would tell if she would use it. He had made his most convincing argument, saying how her family would die, how Orabella's children and their shared grandchild would never forgive her if she didn't.

He gave Emma another quick lesson in magic like he had done when they had come to ask about Dr. Hopper's 'death'. This time about emotional intent.

Then the battle began. Out in the front of the shop, he heard things breaking, people moving, and both doors closing. Emma, Cecilia, and Neal were forced to fall back to the back room.

That was when she reached for him. "Stiltskin," she called weakly.

He sat beside her on the bed and wiped away some of the sweat that had accumulated on her brow from the fever. Devon's cure apparently did not work on all poisons. "What is it, Lovely?"

"Your dagger," she whispered as she shakily pulled out the grip from her palm. "I may not survive this, so you gotta take it now."

He looked at it in her palm and then back to her. "You will survive, Lovely. We'll find something."

"Don't try to pull that shit with me, Stiltskin. There's only one thing that's gonna help me and it's too late now."

"I've already got it under control," he said as he brushed some hair from her face.

She looked at him. "I'm not important enough for it to work anyway."

"You're important enough to me," he said quickly.

"To you?" Neal walked up to his father and looked between him and his mother. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Orabella sighed as best as she could and looked up at her son. "We were planning on having this conversation after the imminent danger had passed, but if you insist on ripping the bandage off now..."

"Your mother and I are bound," Gold said, taking one of her hands in his and also looking up to Neal. "Your mother is my true love."

"No. That can't be," Neal shook his head. "You're not capable of that anymore."

Gold sighed. "I know it's hard to accept-."

"Accept? Hard to accept? This is crazy!"

Orabella gave a weak chuckle. "Perhaps he needs to be convinced of the truth like I was," she offered.

Gold gave his own small chuckle and stood up. "I remember, it was the end of spring. You had finally stopped wearing that ghastly face mask while you were working." He grabbed a vial from the work bench.

"Because you took all of them," she chided.

"I thought you were too beautiful to hide your face," he said as he returned to her side. "You said you weren't strong enough."

"You said I didn't have much of a choice."

He ran his hand through their hairs, collecting a strand and adding it to the vial. "And then I proved it," he said as the hair entwined and began to glow. He swirled the hairs around before they became liquid magic. He handed the vial to their son. "There you are, my boy. Like mother, like son." Neal took the vial in shock. "We've spent a lifetime looking for you... Both of you," he said looking to Cecilia as well. "For a chance to say 'I love you'." He looked back to Neal. "And 'I'm sorry'."

Neal looked from the vial to his father. "I didn't think you'd go back on our deal," he said choking on his emotions.

"I made the wrong choice," Gold said softly as he held out his hand to his son.

"I'm still angry," Neal pouted as he turned toward the table and set the vial down.

"I know." Gold stood up and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. It was a moment before he turned around and embraced his father.

Emma sniffled at the sight and turned to look at the protection spell in the doorway. "They're comming!"

They lined up around Gold and Orabella. Neal and Cecilia stood at the ready with swords in their hands. Cora entered and vanished the three of them. They appeared in the forest outside of town.

"Where are we?" Cecilia whirled around looking for danger.

"Outside of town," Emma said as the siblings lowered their weapons.

"We've gotta get back," Neal said as he slipped the sword into his belt.

"Come on," Emma said as she led the way down the trail back to town.

* * *

Orabella stood with Gold over a weeping Regina, who held her dying mother in her arms. "I didn't want this, Regina," she said to her cursed sister.

"Shut up! You've been waiting for this."

Orabella said nothing. Cora closed her eyes and let go her final breath. Blue smoke surrounded Orabella in an instant. She felt something being pulled out of the pits of her soul, something she'd longed to be rid of since she'd received it. It gathered in her chest and burst through it in a ball of blue light. It flew back to Cora from whence it had come and was joined by another shortly after.

"And it's finally done," Orabella sighed as she sat back onto the cot. "From here on out, Regina, you're on your own. From here on out, you have no one bound to watch you. Absolute and I are done, and free to live our own lives as we will." She paused to let her words sink in. "Good luck."


	17. Chapter 17

Welcome to Storybrooke

Orabella knocked on her daughter's door at Granny's B&B and waited. She knew it was early, but she was excited. Cecilia opened the door and smiled sleepily. "Hey, mama."

"Hello little one," she smiled back. "I have a surprise for you, but we have to be quick or we'll be late."

Mother and daughter walked down the street. Cecilia pointed out the tea shop. "Oh, look! It's so cute! Can we come back later, when it opens?"

"Why?" Orabella looked to her daughter in confusion. "If we don't go in now," she said as she fished her keys from her pocket. "It'll never open." She unlocked the front doors as Devon and Belle approached from across the street. Cecilia stood at the door, her mouth open, taking in the simple beauty of The Tea Trolly as the three others began readying for the day.

Since the curse lifted, the tea shop, like the pawnshop, had rarely been open, but this had brought in new flavors for both tea and pastries when it was. Orabella had begun planting berry seeds from her ingredients she brought with her from Skyrim along side her transplanted apple tree branch. This had allowed her to make crostata's and fruit dumplings that had since become immensely popular amongst her patrons. Even Granny had popped in once to try some.

Orabella pulled her daughter to the back and placed her in front of some dough. The younger woman still seemed in shock, although she had closed her mouth. As if no time had passed, mother and daughter began to make treats. Cecilia looked to Orabella. "This is all yours?"

She gave a little nod. "Technically I still rent from Stiltskin, but, yeah, it's mine." She thanked Belle as she brought in more berries and apples. "There's also an apartment upstairs, you know."

Cecilia looked up from her lavender dumplings she was folding. "What are you saying?"

"Just that, I know you have your life in New York, but that if you ever wanted to visit, you wouldn't have to stay at the B&B if you didn't want to."

Cecilia was silent for a moment. "What if I wanted to live here?"

Orabella looked over to her daughter, gauging her implications. "I don't see how that would be so bad."

"I guess I'd have to talk to Mr. Gold, huh?"

"If you wanted," Orabella said as she move to put some juniper crostata's in the oven.

Cecilia turned her mother around once the oven door was closed. "I do want to, mama. I don't like New York, and I wanna stay with you here in Storybrooke."

Orabella smiled. "We'll go see Stiltskin later. See about transferring the lease on the apartment." Mother and Daughter both returned to their work, matching smiles on their faces.

Later that day, Gold walked into the tea shop to see mother, daughter, and uncle throwing tea packets at each other. "I seem to have missed all the fun," he called over their laughter as he sat at the counter.

"Hey, stranger, come for a cup?" His lover pulled him gently by his lapel over the counter to kiss him as Cecilia and Devon picked up the sachets.

"Indeed, I have," he said when he pulled back. "It occurred to me that I've never actually been a patron of your fine establishment. During the curse, I only ever came to collect the rent. Even then, your step-sister did a fine job of keeping us apart."

Orabella poured him a cup of tea and slid it over. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I did have a bit of an attraction to you during that time," she said as she leaned on the counter across from him.

"Really?"

She nodded as he took a sip of the tea. "Regina probably figured if she kept us apart, it would go away."

"Well, I for one, am glad it didn't work in her favor," he said taking her hand and kissing it.

"Same here," she agreed. "So how is it?"

"Excellent as always," he praised.

Cecilia approached the couple. "Mr. Gold? May I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, Miss Cassidy."

"I'll be in the back," Orabella said, patting her daughter on the arm. A few minutes later there was joyful laughter in the dinning room and mother stuck her head out in time to see her daughter doing a victory dance as she rack the now empty cup and saucer into a dirty dish rack. "I take it you accepted her as the new upstairs tenant?"

Gold's eyes gleamed with the pleasure of a well made deal. "Yes, I did. We'll sign the papers tomorrow. And, with that, I will see you later," he said standing and kissing his lover on the cheek before he left.


	18. Chapter 18

Selfless, Brave, and True

Neal dialed his mother's number, excited to tell her the news. His girlfriend was coming into town, and he wanted them to meet.

"Hello?" That voice was definitely not from his mother.

"Dad? What are you doing with Ma's phone?"

"It seems in her excitement to meet your sister at The Tea Trolly, she left her phone at home," Gold said with a small chuckle.

"Oh, well, that's right across the street. I'll go see them."

"Wait, son, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"It's your mother's birthday today. I'm reserving Granny's for the night for a bit of a celebration. I wondered if you'd be able to join us?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Hey, can I bring someone with?"

"Miss Swan is already-."

"No, not Emma." Neal took a breath. "Actually, it's my fiancé, Tamara."

"Oh," Gold sounded surprised.

"Yeah, she's on her way now. I'm gonna tell her everything."

"I hope she's sitting down when you do," Gold told him carefully.

"It's a lot to take, but I'm hoping she'll come around. I gotta go, Henry and Emma are here."

"Good luck, son." Gold paused. "I love you."

Neal hesitates on the other end. "I love you, too, papa."

* * *

Cecilia had left the shop early to go see Gold and sign the lease on her new apartment. That left Orabella with Belle as Devon had gone to see his kids home from school. Belle approached her boss carefully: she wasn't a woman to mess with. "Miss Shine?"

"Yes Belle?" Orabella was packing up the uneaten food for the next days use.

"I have a bit of a problem. Do you remember that man I was dating under the curse?"

"The ex-Sheriff of Nottingham who I told you would get you into trouble one day? What about him?"

"H-he hasn't quite accepted th-that I'm not... not Lacey really," she said twirling her hair nervously.

"Is he threatening you?" Orabella's face became cold. As much as she disliked Belle, no one should ever be treated the way the ex-sheriff treated people.

"It's getting bad," the younger women admitted, secretly terrified of the woman in front of her.

"What would you like me to do?"

Belle bit her lip. "Would you be there? When I talk to him?"

"Of course."

"As Certainty?"

Orabella paused. "But your scared to death of Certainty."

"So is he," Belle told her. "Please Milady."

The older woman chuckled. "I'm not your lady here, Belle, you don't need to address me so. Of course I'll go with you."

"Thank you!" The younger woman folded her arms around the older one gratefully.

"Ah! Um... you're welcome," Orabella said, awkwardly patting her back. "I... uh... I've gotta lock up. My family's put something up at Granny's."

"Oh, yes, of course." Belle unfolded herself. "I'll call you later."

"Text," Orabella corrected as they gathered their things.

The women left the shop and went their separate ways. As Orabella opened the door to Granny's, she was surprised by the number of people who greeted her. Her entire family had shown up, aside from Regina.

Henry was the first to give her a warm hug. "Happy birthday, Nana!"

She laughed as he put a gift box in her hands. "Thank you, Henry. I'm gonna open these in a bit, but I promise it'll be the first I rip into." He nodded and went back to his mom as Neal and Cecilia approached. She embraced each of them with a smile. "I'm so happy you two are here. It's the best present I could have."

"We're glad to be here, too," Cecilia said as she let her mother go.

"Hey, there's someone I want you to meet," Neal said as he reached out his hand to a beautiful woman. "This is Tamara, my fiancé."

Orabella gave a genuine smile as she held out her arms. "I know, it's finally nice to meet you."

"You too," Tamara said with a nervous smile.

"Now, I know I've not been around for a long time, but I am required, as his mother, to give you a 'shovel talk'. Let's do it quick and get it over with, shall we?" The mocha skinned woman gave a nod. "Deep breath." The warm smile left the woman's face and Tamara could feel the temperature around her become cold not knowing Orabella was casting an illusion around them. "If you ever hurt my son, in any way, shape or form, all that will be left of you is a pile of ash in a land you've never dreamed of being in. Am I understood?"

Tamara looked deep into the eyes of her fiancé's mother and saw a darkness within the emerald. It chilled her more than the illusionary cold did. Then there was an angry fire within the ice, as if the woman already knew that would be her fate.

Orabella's warm smile and happy demeanor returned as the illusion dropped. "That being said, I already know you wont. I'm very happy to have you here."

Tamara could see the genuine warmth and kindness, and gave a relaxed laugh. "Well, I'm glad to be here."

Gold approached his lover next and remained at her side as she greeted the rest of her guests: the Charming's, Devon and his kids, and Emma.


	19. Chapter 19

Lacey

Rumplestiltskin heard the clashing of metal in the distance. He smiled and laughed before remembering his new 'housecarl', as she called herself, was outside doing the laundry.

He taransported himself outside and saw to his amazement, the blood haired woman fighting in her working dress against seven fully armored men. And she was taunting them.

"My nine-year-old daughter can fight better than this!" She ripped off one man's bracer and sliced his arm off at the elbow. "I'm going easy on you!"

One man was able to slash his sword across her face before she cut open his side. Blood marred her features as well as a frown. "Really? My face? What do I look like, some maiden in a tower?" She watched the man fall and stuck her tongue out at him childishly before blocking the next blow.

He continued to watch as she... 'played' was the word. She wasn't fighting, there was too much laughter, she wasn't using her magic, her usual sword, or her gifts. She was dancing about the men, not causing much harm, but an annoyance that made them angry.

One was able to wrestle her sword away from her hand. She smiled and electrocuted him. "Oh, we wanna play like the big boys do, hmm?" She planted her feet and unleashed a dragon roar. "FUS, RO, DAH!" The five remaining men were thrown back and she began to stalk toward them.

"Having fun, Dearie," Rumplestiltskin called out from the sideline.

Certainty turned to him quickly, delight shining in her eyes. "Oh, Milord! I didn't realize... Would you like me to dispose of them?"

He thought a moment. "I was rather enjoying that little display."

Her smile brightened as she turned back to the men. Less than ten minutes later, she felled the last man by decapitating him with his own sword. Her dress was covered in blood as she examined herself. "Ohhh... these were my favorite boots. Jerks."

He laughed as she pouted. "Certainly not nice men at the least."

She glanced at him playfully. "You can be no better." She magically changed her clothes as her skin cleaned. "Shall I skin them, sir?"

"What for?" He tilted his head to the side, interested.

"I noticed some of the books in the library were very worn and fresh parchment is expensive in town. And I'm going to strip them of their things anyway, it's not like it's a huge step."

He laughed. "Then skin them you may."

"Yes, My Lord," she said with a curtsy before turning to the laundry basket. "I shall start as soon as I finish hanging the drying."

"See that you do," he said before going back inside.

* * *

Orabella called on Devon, and the pair donned their old armor and joined Belle in her talk to the ex-Sheriff of Nottingham. Once the man had seen the cold armors of Absolute and Certainty, he had soiled himself, which only made the conversation shorter and more understanding.

Once he ran away, Belle turned to her bosses. "Thank you for helping me," she said as she twisted her hands together.

The two guards let their armor disappear to regular clothing. "It's no problem, dear," Orabella said as she took the younger woman by the shoulders. "It's been an emotional roller coaster for you today." She started walking them down the street. "Why don't you go home, have a drink, relax? Don't worry about work tomorrow."

"I have to clean Mr. Gold's house tomorrow."

"I'll take care of it." Orabella smiled as she cupped Belle's worried face. "You need a mental health day. Take it."

The younger woman nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

The former guards watched as Belle left them. Devon lent over Orabella's shoulder. "Very motherly thing for you to do."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "Still a twit."

"But I bet you don't want to kill her."

"No, I don't. But I do have to figure out what to do with her."

Devon only nodded as they made their way back to work.


	20. Chapter 20

The Evil Queen

Wyman had just returned to his home in Windhelm after returning to the Aretino boy. Killing Grellod the kind was by far his favorite quest, because she was a bitch. But now he was exhausted, he couldn't remember the last time he slept.

He let himself change into simple clothes as he drug himself up the stairs and collapsed on the bed. He knew he'd be kidnapped, but couldn't find it in himself to care.

When he woke and shook the darkness from his head, he peered sleepily to the masked woman in the corner. "What? Where am I?" His brain wasn't working properly as he tried to wake up.

"Does it matter? You're warm, dry, and still very much alive. That's more than can be said for old Grlod, hmm?"

"Okay?"

"I'm not criticizing. It was a good kill. Old crone had it coming. And you saved a group of urchins to boot. But there is a slight problem." Wyman was silent as his brain began to wake up. " You see, that Aretino boy was looking for the Dark Brotherhood. For me and my associates. Grelod the kind was, by all rights, a Dark Brotherhood contract. A kill that you stole. A kill you must repay."

"You want me to kill someone?" He was still tired and getting cranky. Gods, he needed to get laid. "Who?"

"Well now. Funny you should ask. If you turn around, you'll notice my guests. I've collected them from... well, that's not really important. The here and now. That's what matters." Astrid shook her head to bring herself to the present. "You see, there's a contract out on one of them, and that person can't leave this room alive. But which one? Go on, see if you can figure it out. Make your choice. Make your kill. I just want to observe and admire."

Wyman turned as he grabbed an extra dagger. Three bound and bagged people were kneeled facing him. He didn't care who they were, he killed them all. He was tired and didn't really want to think.

"Well, well, aren't we the over achiever. Three possibilities, three victims. Must have been one of them, right? So why take chances..."

"You told me to kill and I killed," he offered up.

"Indeed, for you, my friend, seem to understand what's truly important. When I give an order to spill blood, you follow it. No questions. No remorse."

"Can I go now?"

"Of course. And you've repaid your debt in full. Here's the key to the shack." She handed him a skeleton key. "But why stop here? I say we take our relationship to the next level. I would like to officially extend to you an invitation to join my Family. The Dark Brotherhood. In the southwest reaches of Skyrim, in the Pine Forest, you'll fond the entrance to our Sanctuary. It's just beneath the road, hidden from view. When questioned by the Black Door, answer with the correct pass phrase: 'Silence, my brother.' Then you're in. And your new life begins. I'll see you at home," she said as she jumped off the shelf and left him in the shack.

Wyman shook his his head. "I can't believe I didn't kill her," he said as he sat on the rickety old bed the shack provided. He curled up among the old blankets and musty furs to get his 'Gods' damned' sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Second Star To The Right

Mary Margret and David exited the pawn shop with their prize. Gold picked his phone from his pocket and dialed Orabella.

"Hello, Lovely."

"Hello, Dearie, what do I owe this pleasure?"

"What do you know about your dear sweet sister's disappearance?"

"Did Mary Margret and David just leave with her tear?" The sounds on the other side of the phone made her sound as though she had left her shop.

"Yes, they did." He listened as she began huffing into the phone. "Lovely, are you running?"

"Yes, I am. I'll see you in a second." She hung up on him. Less than a minute later she burst into the shop. "I need a gun."

Gold looked to his lover in shock. "A gun?"

"I'm gonna shoot the shit out of our son's fiancé."

"Why?"

"She's gonna try to kill him. And I'm gonna kill her," she said in explanation.

He gave a short nod of approval and rounded the counters. "Shotgun or pistol?"

"Pistol. Easier to handle at short ranges."

He pulled out a selection of revolvers and their appropriate ammunition. "Can you even use a gun?"

She picked up one of the offered pieces and began to load it. "My mother once had a boyfriend who taught me how to use them. It may have been 70-odd years ago, but it doesn't take much at point blank range."

She clicked the cylinder into place and he placed his hands over hers. "Why not use magic?"

She looked up at him, the fire dying in her eyes. "Neal doesn't like magic. I promised him I'd never use it in front of him unless I had to." She gestured to the gun. "I don't have to."

Gold nodded and picked up her other hand. "Be careful, my Lovely," he said kissing it gently.

Orabella smiled and placed her hand on his cheek. "I need to tell you, if I'm too late. He will be okay and we will see him again. I can promise this."

He smiled and pulled her hand down to kiss it again. "You are rarely late."

"But sometimes I am," she said morosely before she kissed him and left for the fish packaging plant.

She had sent a short text to Emma when she had parked and entered silently. She surprisingly hadn't put much thought into this day. She hadn't looked forward to it. She made her way through the large machines, praying to the Gods that Emma would come soon.

She heard a clatter of glass by another entrance and rushed to see who it was. She was met by Emma and David, their own guns drawn. "What the hell, guys," Emma exclaimed as they all lowered their weapons.

"Here," David said as he pulled out a walkie-talkie and handed it to his daughter. "So that doesn't happen again."

Emma clipped the radio to her belt. "You and Mary Margret take the basement. Ora, you're with me, we'll search the main floor. Regina's gotta be here somewhere."

"She is," Ora Bella confirmed. "Our unexpected guest has her tied to a table an is electrocuting her. They have a magic dampening cuff on her; she can't fight back."

"Where," Emma asked.

"I don't remember." Orabella lied easily as she gestured for Mary Margret and David to leave. "So we should get going."

* * *

Five minutes later Emma's radio crackled. "Emma, you gotta block the exits."

"Already on it," she answered her father. "You guys all right?"

"Oh, we're fine. We found Regina, with Mendell," David said as Mary Margret was removing the electrodes and restraints from Regina. "He's coming your way."

"Greg Mendell," Emma said in shock as she turned to Neal.

"So I was right. It wasn't Tamara," Neal said calmly, not noticing as his mother began moving as if to block him from the entrance of the hall they had entered.

As he moved to lead them on, Emma was knocked in the back of the head with a spare pipe. Orabella pulled her gun to level with the perpetrator as Tamara rounded the corner. "Actually..." she calmly picked up Emma's fallen gun and pointed it back at Orabella. "It was. I just had some help."

"What are you doing Tamara?!"

"I have to keep magic out of this world, Neal. It doesn't belong here. You more than anyone should understand that. It's a poison."

"You've been lying to me." Neal attempted to push past Orabella to get to his former fiancé. "How long have you been lying to me?"

"This is more important than any-"

"How long?!"

"She's been lying from the beginning," Orabella said softly.

"Since I spilled coffee on you," Tamara said mockingly.

Neal took a breath. "It wasn't an accident. You planned it all. None of it was real."

"Neal, you're a good man. I know that. So please try to understand. I had a job to do- an important one, one I think you can agree with." Tamara kept her eyes on Neal, never noticing Orabella drawing closer.

"You never loved me."

"No," Tamara admitted coldly.

Neal paused to look at the back of his mother's head, noticing how close she was to Tamara. "I cant let you leave here, Tamara." He moved closer to his mother.

"Neal, please don't make me."

Two guns went off. One into Tamara's shoulder; Neal had pulled Orabella back abruptly, throwing off her aim. The second ripped through Orabella's side, the bullet lodging into Neal as the impact from the first shot jerked Tamara's hand, spurring it into action. The three of them fell away from each other."

Tamara was the first to recover. She stood over the pair and pointed the pistol at Neal's head. "I'm sorry, Neal."

"You should be." Emma came from the side, knocking Tamara and the gun away from the father of her child.

The two women scuffled as Orabella took a look at her son. "Please let me," she begged as she put her hands over his wound to stem the tide of his blood. Neal only nodded his consent and watched as his mother worked quickly to heal him.

As Orabella finished digging out the bullet with the use of Telekinesis, Emma reached for her fallen gun and pointed it at Tamara on the floor. "It's over."

Tamara pulled something out of her pocket. "No. It's not," she gasped out as she threw the magic bean at Emma.

Emma jumped up onto a pipe to escape the growing portal as Neal and Orabella crawled to the adjacent wall. None saw Tamara make her escape. Emma's pipe broke and shifted her towards the violently swirling portal. Just as she was about to fall in, Neal and Orabella pulled her back.

Neal didn't understand why his mother had suddenly grabbed his hand as Emma remarked how they needed to go to the hospital, but held onto her hand anyway. Then the floor beneath him crumbled into the vortex. Emma grabbed his other hand as she too fell, and the two women began to pull him up.

He watched as Emma's awkward grip on the remaining floor began to fail and Orabella's blood pumped from her body, staining and slickening the wood beneath her. "You both can't hold me," he realized aloud.

"No. You don't get to do this to me again," Orabella cursed at him, shaking her finger as she did so.

"I'm not letting go of you," Emma cried as she pulled at her stretched limbs.

"You have to."

"No, you're shot!" Emma continued to pull as Orabella slipped on her own blood, losing her grip a little. "If you fall through that portal, you'll die no matter what world you land in!"

"No. But, Emma, Mama, Henry needs you. He can't lose all of us. Don't make him grow up like I did."

"Then don't let go," Orabella said as she slipped a potion into his coat sleeve, knowing her grip was failing.

"I need you," Emma blurted out. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Neal said as he let go of the women's hands and fell into the vortex. "I'll find you."

"No!"

The portal sealed behind him and the women collapsed back without his weight to hold them. Orabella used one hand to heal herself and placed the other on Emma. "Emma, look at me. Look at me, Emma." The younger woman looked at her blankly. "Neal will be okay. I know my son. He's a fighter. I slipped a healing potion into his coat, he'll be fine. But, we have to get back to town. Come on." She lifted the younger woman up and pulled her to her vehicle.


	22. Chapter 22

And Straight On Till Morning

Orabella waited for Gold in the back of his shop, Neal's old shawl drawn around her as she stared at the objects in front of her. She heard the dwarves rummaging around in the front of the shop and her lover discovering them. She waited until the intruders had left before revealing herself to him.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

He didn't turn to face her just yet. "Is he alive?"

"In the Enchanted Forest," she confirmed. "I gave him my strongest health potion. He'll be fine."

Gold turned to her. "You're sure?"

"With Absolute Certainty." They both smiled tearily at her joke. A wave of magic passed through them. Orabella nodded at the window. "When this is over, we have to go to the factory."

"We live through this?"

"And more." She rounded the counter and he pulled her close. "Greg and Tamara will have taken Henry by the time we get out of here."

"Taken him where?" He looked down at her when she paused.

"To Neverland."

"What?" He took a step away from her. "They're taking him to 'him'?"

"Yes, but 'his' plan will fail if we go." She stepped closer to him. "I know you're afraid. You can't hide that from me. But you know as well as I that the price of magic must always be paid. And you know that I'll pay it with you when the time comes. So, will you help me save our grandson from 'him'. Please?"

Gold pulled himself back to her and kissed her on the head. "Of course I will. Henry will be home before we know it."

They walked along the docks to meet the Charmings. "They've taken Henry?" Gold spoke in his usual 'I know what's happening' manner.

"Yeah," David confirmed. "You're the Dark One. Do something. And Ora. Why didn't you tell us about this?"

Emma placed a hand on her father's arm. "Gold, help us."

"There's no way," he tried to explain. "I spent a life time trying to cross worlds to find my son. There's no way in this world with out a portal."

"So, that's it," Regina accused. "He's gone forever?" The Charmings looked dismayed at the lack of options. "I refuse to believe that."

"Good, because here comes Hook back," Orabella said as she pointed out to the harbor. Indeed, the 'Jolly Rodger' was on her way back to them.

Orabella called her daughter to grab her uncle and meet down at the harbor. The lot of them waited for the ship to be secured before approaching. As the Charmings gave a brief rundown to Hook about what was now happening, Cecilia and Devon ran up to Orabella. "Please tell me I don't have to go," Devon begged. "You know I get horribly sea sick."

"It's my turn to go off on an adventure as you hold down the home fort," Orabella assured. "You too, Sissy."

"I'm coming with, mama. He's my nephew." Cecilia quickly walked up the gang plank.

"Anything I need to do," Devon asked as he watched his niece board the ship.

"After we've gone, follow these instructions," Gold said holding a small ribbon bound scroll.

"And activate this," Orabella said as she pulled out her own spell scroll.

"A Cloaking spell."

"And a Grand Protection spell."

"They'll shield the town, making it impossible for anyone to find."

"Then how will you get back?" Devon looked worriedly at the pair in front of him.

"We'll find a way," Orabella said assuredly as she gave him a hug. "Congratulations on making it through season 2." Devon laugh/sobbed comically as he hugged her back. "Season 3 is worse." The sob became real. "I'll see you again." She handed him a red journal. "A copy of my secrets, so you won't become too lost."

Gold pulled her arm. "We need to go." They boarded the ship and waved farewell to Devon. Gold spotted Hook as he made ready to sail. "So... Are you done trying to kill me?"

"I believe so," Hook said as the three of them met on deck.

"Excellent, then you can live." Gold lifted his hand to summon the tracking globe.

"Hold on a moment," Orabella said stoping her lover. "I still have something to say before we start." Both men bid her speak and she punched Hook in the lip. "That's for shooting me." She grabbed him by the hair and kneed him in the nose. "That's for poisoning me." She threw him to the ground and kicked him in the stomach. "And that is for handing my son over to 'him'." She turned to Gold. "Okay, we can go now," she said as she wiped her hands and fixed her hair.

Gold smirked as he summoned the globe from his shop. Hook stood as Gold picked himself and dropped his blood on the surface. As the map formed, Regina asked, "where is that? Where did they take Henry?"

"Neverland," Hook answered gravely.

Emma dug out the bean and gave it to Cecilia who threw it out to the water away from them.

"So who are we up against," David asked over the noise of the portal. "Who are Greg and Tamara?"

"They're merely pawns," Gold answered as he kept an arm around Orabella and helped secure them to the ship. "Manipulated by forces far greater than they can conceive. They have no idea who they're truly working for.

"And who's that," Cecilia asked from her place by the helm.

"Someone we all should fear," her mother answered as they approached the green glowing vortex.

All other conversation had to wait until that reached Neverland.

'His' realm.

A/n: Happy Holidays! The adventure is continuing in season three, I promise. With my new hours I may have more time to write than before. I have started writing my Skyrim/Dragon Age crossover. If you have time, the first character is posted on my list; tell me what you think of her.

Here's to a Happy New Year!


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